Poke genetics
by maximaxx
Summary: Ash only wanted to rest after the Sinnoh League, however he could not turned down a request from that guy met on the road. Now he has to fight criminals, save his friend and solve his love issues... stuck as a pikachu. Ashchu story, contains Ocs.
1. The meeting

**Poke-genetics: the meeting**

«Huh… where is he mom? » he said. «Where's Dad? »

«He's… traveling… to become a great… pokemon master. »

«A pokemon master? That's so cool! I want to become one too! »

She chuckled a little. «You will have to wait a little. You need to be at least ten to be a trainer. »

«Awww**, come on,** I'm already seven. They could make an exception for me, right? »

«I don't think so, sweet heart. That would be unfair to the other kids your age, wouldn't it? »

«Yeah…»

«Now, time to go to sleep.» she pushed him gently toward his room.

«Good night, mom.»

«Good night.»

As the kid slowly drifted to sleep under his blanket, he thought happily: «I'm going to become the best pokemon master in the world… and I'll be able to see Dad.»

The sun was already high in the morning sky. Though, it didn't seem to have the least effect on one sleepy head. Ash Ketchum mumbled in his sleep and in his sleeping bag for that matters. Next to him, his most loyal companion was also enjoying a well-deserved rest. Not for long.

Without warning, his master turned around in his sleep and rolled onto him.

«Pi Pi Pi» it protested.

«Alright, Ash, you asked for it. » he thought.

The yellow mouse took a not so deep breath (there was a human on top of him) and screamed :

«Chuuuuuuuuuu!»

A group of pidgey that were minding their own business were VERY surprised to see a thunderbolt raised and went to the clouds next to them.

It didn't take them long to leave, cooing their indignation.

«WOW, PIKACHU! What was that for?» asked an angry and slightly smoking Ash.

«Pika, pika,pi piiiii.» (Hey, it's not my fault you rolled on top of me.)

Unfortunately, that made no sense to Ash. So, he decided, as a mature 16 years old boy, to sulk a little on his pokemon during breakfast. Pikachu, not exactly in his best mood after being woken up that way, and then yelled at, was quite happy to stay silent too.

This way, Ash had quite a bit of time to think about that dream he had. Although it was not exactly a dream, more like… a memory. He remembered asking his mother about his father when he was younger. He was a pretty curious boy after all, so the mystery of his ever absent father was one of his biggest interest at that time. That and pokemon. The thing is, with time, he realized that it saddened his mother when he asked about it, so he asked less and less until… what? He forgot? Ash wasn't exactly sure.

«Pika pi.»

He was surprised. Pikachu had finished his meal and decided to forgive him. After all, he was sleeping and he couldn't understand him. That was unfortunate, but there was nothing they could do about it. Plus, his trainer really looked strange this morning. Maybe he had a nightmare?

So Pikachu jumped on Ash and began to lick his face. It didn't take long for Ash to start laughing.

«Haha, okay… you win… I give up. »

He tried to make him stop, but the yellow mouse was too fast for him and mercilessly continued until Ash, between too laughs, said:

«Ok, ok, I apologize. Please, stooooop… »

Pikachu decided he had suffered enough and stopped.

«Okay buddy, let's pack our things and get ready for Pallet Town! I'm so eager to see my hometown again. Mom, prof. Oak, my other pokemon, maybe even Gary, if he's home.»

It didn't take long and, before the sun reached the middle of the sky, they were walking on the road to Pallet Town. Dawn , Brock and him each went separate ways a week ago and he was now alone. Surprisingly, he didn't get THAT lost without the others, though it was the way home, so maybe it didn't really count.

Both of them were walking silently when they heard bushes moving.

Immediately, Ash and Pikachu got into fighting stances. If it was a wild pokemon, they wouldn't be taken by surprise.

Except it wasn't a pokemon.

They were both surprised to see a teenager around Ash's age get out of the bushes while mumbling something about «damn beedrills» and «lousy rattatas». Without looking in front of him, he got a few branches out of his light brown hair and dusted his purple jacket and black pants. When he finally stopped taking care of his appearance, he realized he was not alone. The teen froze when he saw the trainer and pokemon in front of him. For a second, he looked frightened. Ash made the first step.

«Hi, are you alright?»

The teen didn't answer right away; instead he looked at Ash's pokeballs and at Pikachu.

«You're… a trainer?»

«Yeah… what about it?»

«Is your name Ash?»

At the mention of his name, Ash felt his curious nature rise to the surface.

«Yes, who are you and why do you know my name? »

Instead of answering, the teen jumped at him with bright eyes and shook his hands.

«GREAT, you're not a pikachu!»

Okay, if there was even a tenth of his mind that was not focused on the strange guy, that definitely took care of it.

«What the heck are you talking about?»

«Gosh, I was so worried when she said she was not sure if you had turned back. »

«No, seriously, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?»

Unfortunately, the teen seemed too happy to even hear his question.

Seeing as this was getting too out of hand, Pikachu grabbed the guy's pants and yelled:

«CHHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!»

Both Ash and the stranger got hit by a powerful thunderbolt. Both of them fell to the ground, stunned.

It took them a few minutes to get back on their feet, but when they did, the teen was (fortunately) much less hyperactive.

«Sorry about my excessiveness… I was just really worried and when it turned out you weren't a pikachu anymore… I just… overreacted.»

«Sorry if I sound repetitive, but what are you talking about?»

The teen stared at him with a look of disbelief.

«You don't remember Lily?»

Lily, the name ringed a bell… the pokewitch! The one that turned him into a pikachu by mistake! And told him that it was temporary… wait. He said she told him she wasn't sure if it had worn off? But it happened more than a year ago! Seems like she had a little bit of explaining to do if he ever met her again…

«Yeah! I met her a while ago. Why do you ask?»

«Well, I met her last week and she said you could help me. She remembered that you were a great trainer and had a good heart, but she also said she turned you into a pikachu and hoped that you didn't get stuck like that.»

Ash grumbled a little. Great trainer and good heart was all nice and fluffy, but if her potion didn't wear off, it would have hardly mattered.

«Before you continue, could you just tell me who you are? 'cause you seem to know me, but as far as I'm concerned you don't have a name right now.»

The teen started to laugh a little.

«Well, my father did like it when I think outside the box, but… okay. My name is Genno. I live in the region of Kanto, in a small house outside of Viridian City with my scientist of a father.»

Ash gave him an encouraging smile.

«Now, that's a good start. Mind telling me about that whole «I need help!» thing?»

Genno hesitated a little, which was strange considering he really needed Ash's help.

«Well, I kind of need a Lightning pokemon's help to get back to my house…»

«Pikapi pika?» (You need me?)

«Yeah, basically. There's been a… power outage at my house and I can't get in. Everything must be operated electronically. So, I kind of need a powerful thunder type pokemon to get inside my house. »

While Pikachu though the story was… unusual nonetheless, Ash noticed something else.

«What did you say?»

Genno looked confused.

«Huh? I said I needed Pikachu's help to…»

«No, I meant the part where you said: «Yeah, basically.» to Pikachu. You… understand him?»

It was really brief, but Genno seemed to panic for a second. With a not so convincing laughter, he tried to shrug it off.

«Oh, come on, there's no way I could. I just guessed he said something about being the one I need.»

Ash didn't add anything. Instead, he just stared at Genno for a moment. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he asked:

«What do you think Pikaachu? Do you mind if we wait take a few days off schedule?»

Pikachu seemed to be pondering. There was something off about that Genno, not bad, just… off.

«Pikaaaa… pika pi pikachu… chu!» (Hum… he sure looks like he need help…okay!)

And he nodded positively.

«Thanks Pikachu.» said Genno.

«Well, I guess that it's settled then. Viridian city, here we go.»

The three of them began walking in the direction of the previously mentioned city. After a few moments, Ash asked Genno something that bugged him.

«Hey Genno, why can't you father restore the power if he's a scientist?»

«He's not an electrician Ash, he's a poke-geneticist. I'd be surprised if he managed to repair our toaster.»

Ash just started to laugh.

«Well, it's harder than it looks, I tried once. It… kind of… exploded.»

«Pikaaaa?» (What?)

«You're kidding, right?»

«Nope, after that, my mother made me swore to just call an electrician if there was a problem at home.»

Pikachu and Genno looked at each other for a second, then they started laughing, soon, joined by Ash.

«Well, always nice to laugh.» Ash said, wiping a tear off his cheeks.

«He's gone…»

Ash was startled.

«Who?»

«My father… he's been… gone for a two weeks now.»

Ash felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Genno's father was… gone. For a second, he thought about his own father who he was without news for nearly all his life. He wanted to apologize to Genno for bringing up the subject, but he couldn't and stayed silent.

Genno didn't like to bath in self-pity, so he just changed the subject.

«Err… how was it like to turn into a pikachu?»

«Oh, eh… it was… freaky!»

«Chu!» (Hey!)

«Well, it WAS… until I realized it was temporary. Then, it became real fun. I mean, I could see the world just like my best pals was and I could understand him. We played for hours together.»

«Oh, it sounds nice said like that.»

«Okay, the moment you wake up in a body that's not the same it has been for all your life is the really freaky part.»

«Yeah, I can understand that. Must be freaky... How did you change back?»

«Oh, I was walking next to Pikachu and it just when «poof» and I was myself again.»

«It just… happened?»

«Yeah, just happened. Why do you ask?»

«I'm just curious. I mean as the son of a poke-geneticist, it's extremely interesting. »

Somehow, that last part sounded fake.

But nevertheless, they went on talking, knowing each other better, on their way to what was yet to become a great adventure.


	2. The lab

**Poke-genetics: the lab**

«Is that the one?» Ash asked in a rather unsure voice.

«Yeah, that's my house. I'd like to say home, sweet home, but it's not exactly sweet.»

The house they talked about was in front of them. Only, it was not really like ash and Pikachu though it would be. First of all, it was big. It was at least as big as Professor Oak.'s lab. Second, it looked like Oak's lab. Third, it was wrecked. Some windows had cracks on them, like someone threw something at them without breaking the glass. The door, which had no handle, confirming Genno's statement about the «no manual entry» thing, had been partially curved and looked like someone had tried to break it down. And whoever that «someone » was, he seemed to want to enter pretty badly.

«Was it like that when you left?»

«Yeah, without the dust.»

Slowly, they walked around the «house» and got in front of a strange machine with the word «generator» on it. Ash couldn't help but comment:

«Wow, and that's how your father thinks outside the box? Original. Really.»

Genno just smiled faintly. He bent down and took off a panel. Behind it, you could see some sort of green screen and a plug. The teen examined it for a second and turned to Pikachu.

«That's the reason I need you. Can you control the strength of your thunderbolts?»

«Pika! Pikachu chu, pi?» (Of course! I'm not a pichu, you know?)

Pikachu seemed a little annoyed that Genno thought he might not be.

«I should have guessed, sorry. Okay, what I want you to do is to shoot a weak thunderbolt and continue shooting it until I tell you to stop. Alright?»

«Pika!»(No problem!)

Ash looked fascinated. Genno really had a gift when it came to communicating with Pikachu. He could only hear half of what was said, but Genno seemed to fill the blanks by himself.

«Ready? Thunderbolt!»

«Chuuuuuuuu!»

Slowly, the screen regained colors and began beeping in a perfectly cliché manner.

«Okay, stop. »

A welcomed «beep» was heard and Genno smiled, satisfied. He petted Pikachu on the head as a «thank you» and turned to Ash.

«We'll be able to enter now. Do you want to come in?»

«Hey, we have not walked all the way here to just go back the way we came without a little rest. Besides, I'm curious about how it is inside your house.»

Genno looked a little worried about that last sentence.

«Hum… Ash, when we're inside, it'll be best not to touch anything. My father's research tends to be… unpredictable.»

«That's fine by me.»

«Pika pikachu…» (Yeah, right…)

«What?» Ash asked, genuinely clueless.

It seems as if the curve in the door wasn't enough to stop it from working since Genno only had to say his name loudly and it opened.

Surprisingly, things looked… normal: a kitchen on the right, a living room on their left, stairs in front of them. Quite the normal features.

Ash and Pikachu seemed almost disappointed.

«It looks… ordinary.»

«Don't worry guys, the lab is pretty special. »

Both of them suddenly felt as excited as kids in front of candy. Ash's stomach even seemed to agree to the comparison and let out a loud growl.

«Maybe you'd like something to eat?»

Ash blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

«Yeah… that would be nice. »

«That was tasty!»

«Well, thank you. Since my father's not the best cook in the world, I had to learn young. »

«That would explain it. I mean, you're almost as good as Brock. »

«Is that a compliment?» said Genno, a little unsure of who Brock was.

«Pikapi» (It is.)

«Okay. »

For a second, his smile faded… and Ash saw it.

«Is something wrong?»

«I'm just… worried. »

«Oh. Hum… well…»

«I think I'll go look around. Could you please wait here?»

«You're sure you don't want me to come with you?»

«Yeah…»

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other. Both of them had lost their appetite. Ash grabbed Pikachu and put him on his lap.

«You're sad too, aren't you?»

«Piii.»

He hugged his pokemon. Ash was sad for his friend. Not knowing about your own father was a terrible feeling. He knew that better than anyone.

«Pikachu, we should go after him. Even if he doesn't want to, he needs us right now. Let's…»

«AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!»

«Genno!»

They both ran out of the kitchen and ran upstairs, where they though Genno went.

They had just run over the last step that they both froze in horror. Genno was lying on the ground, unconscious, motionless.

«Genno!»

Ash had just grabbed his friend that he groaned in pain. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Ash and Pikachu over him.

«I'm alright…»

«Are you kidding? Of course, you're not alright. You looked like you ate a thunderbolt in the face.»

«I kind of did.»

«WHAT?»

«It's… the defense system of the lab. I… made a mistake when I entered the password.»

«That's crazy!»

«That's my father's way of keeping his research out of the wrong hands.»

«Well, crazy or not, that system just knock you out and you need to rest.»

«No, I'm fine… really…»

«PIKA!» (You're not!)

«Humph… just let me sleep for a minute… »

And without waiting for a reaction, Genno fell asleep. Feeling a bit relieved, Ash looked at the strange door next to them.

«What is so freaking important that he'd take the risk to harm his son?»

He didn't get the answer even after Genno woke up.

«Hey, are you alright, Genno?»

«I'm feeling better now. Where am I now?»

«I'm… not sure. Probably your father's room.»

Genno looked around and nodded.

«Messy, science-fiction looking, yup, that's definitely my father's room.»

«Why did you try to go in your father's lab?»

«I… wanted to make sure… that… he didn't left… a hint or something about where he might be. And I still want to get inside.»

«Then, let me go with you. »

«NO!»

Even he seemed surprised that he shouted.

«It's… dangerous. My father's stuff… is not family friendly. I developed an… immunity to it. But you didn't. Trust me, you don't want to be affect by what's in there.»

«Genno, if you go in there, I follow you. What would you do if you got shocked again or something if you're alone?»

«Err… ok. Let's make a deal. I let you in the lab if you swear to obey my orders in there and not to touch anything.»

«Deal.»

The system didn't react this time. The door just slid to the right and they were free to enter as they wanted. The inside of the lab was just as Genno said: extraordinary. It was just like something out of a science-fiction novel. Strange holographic DNA or molecular structures were floating over tables, sometimes changing to show the creature they were belonging to. The walls were covered in shelves occupied by test tube filled with glowing liquids.

«Wow…» was all Ash could say.

«I know.»

They were walking around the lab, trying to spot a detail, something unusual, that could help Genno find his father. The problem is, Ash did find something strange.

«Genno…»

«What is it, Ash? » he asked, absorbed in his search.

«Why did you lie? »

Genno turned around in shock.

« What? »

Ash looked at him with anger.

«Who are you? »

«What are you talking about? »

And he showed him. It was a picture. Of his father and of him, of a chubby man with glass and his son… a teenager with blond hair, slightly smaller and with a totally different face.

«It's written «Jonathan and Genno Avery », a picture taken 6 months ago. You sure changed a lot! »

«Ash… please…»

«Who are you? Why did you pretend to be him? Was it from your hands that his father was trying to protect his lab? »

«Let me expl…»

He didn't finish. He had just heard a noise he was not supposed to. The lab's security system was supposed to be shut down. Genno reacted as fast as he could. He jumped on his friend.

«Ash, GET DOWN! »

Just as he tried to push him off, Ash saw a jet of glowing liquid pass over their head.

«What's that? »

Genno didn't answer. Instead, he stared at the liquid on the wall. He seemed shocked.

«It was supposed to be a net…»

With a trembling hand, he touched the liquid. As soon as his hand reached the substance, he jumped back in disbelief.

«No way… they used THAT in the system. »

«They? »

He turned around to answer his friend, but he stopped midway, noticing something wrong. The liquid had started to evaporate. And turned into yellow smoke.

«Hold your breath! »

Too stunned to protest, Ash did as he was told, covering his mouth and his nose.

«Listen, you mustn't touch that liquid, nor inhale its vapor. Understood? »

He didn't have the time to answer. Genno had failed to understand the purpose of the system's assault. In time to get out of the lab, that is.

Genno looked at the smoke with fear, hoping it wouldn't harm Ash. It was then that he saw the sprinkler in the ceiling.

In panic, he grabbed Ash and put him in a corner.

«What are you doing? »

And the sprinkler started to spurt glowing liquid all over the room.

Everything was covered by the substance: the shelves, the tables, the walls, Genno… but Ash wasn't.

He was looking in confusion at Genno, which was staying in front of Ash to make sure he didn't get hit. From times to times, he would let out a groan of pain or grit his teeth, but he didn't move. He stayed where he was and protected his friend.

«Ash, just stay here. Don't get touch by the liquid. »

«Why? »

«Just… believe… me! »

«Believe you? I'm not sure if I even know your name! Why should I believe in you? »

«Do it… please…»

And he saw it. In Genno's eye, it wasn't hostility, orders, disdain… it was fear. Genno was genuinely afraid for his well-being.

«Alright.»

And they waited. Ash, trying to understand who he had before his eyes, and Genno, trying to save who he had before his eyes.

After what seemed like eternity, the sprinkler finally stopped working. Genno didn't lose time.

«Let's get out of here. »

They turned toward the entrance of the lab when they realized something horrifying. Genno's reaction had been admirable, combining selflessness and quick thinking. The problem was: they didn't have a chance from the beginning. The liquid had already started to evaporate.

«RUN! »

They both moved fast. They didn't touch anything in the room, carefully avoiding the substance.

But Ash began coughing before they got out.

«Oh no! » though Genno.

«Ash, HOLD YOUR BREATH! »

As soon as they got out of the lab, Genno pressed a button and the door was closed again.

«I'm feeling dizzy…»

Ash had spoken in a very weak voice. In panic, Genno put him on his shoulder and ran to the outside, getting a worried look from Pikachu in the kitchen.

«Please, please, please, tell me you didn't breathe that gas! »

But Ash coughing had gotten so bad he couldn't speak.

Genno stared in despair at his friend whose skin was slowly turning yellow.

«I shouldn't have let you follow me! »

Ash began to feel weird all over his body. It was… curiously familiar. Like it had happened before… It only last a few seconds, then he got swallowed in a whirlpool of pain.

«…lock…»

Ash fell unconscious as Genno saw how much his friend had changed because of him.


	3. First explanation

**Poke-genetics: first explanation**

He was not feeling well. He felt like his body was under a sleeping snorlax. Put blatantly, Ash felt paralyzed. It was a frightening sensation. To be unable to move your body while you were conscious.

Something splashed his face.

«Huh?»

It happened again, though this time it was less of a splash and more of a gentle touch.

Periodically, the treatment was repeated until Ash began to feel better. When he finally got enough strength to move again, he opened his eyes slowly. Everything was blurry. Next to him, there was a yellow shape resting on its side.

«Pikachu?»

Instead of the usual «pikapi», he got something very unusual.

English words, which made no sense.

«Nope, try again.»

It took his brain a while to register what had just happened. By the time he had actually understood his Pikachu talked, his vision was no longer blurry.

Pikachu just walked toward him with a smile.

«I was pretty worried about the side-effects, but it seemed they weren't too bad. Just a big fever.»

He paused for a few seconds before he continued.

«Well, to be honest, I was also worried about the primary effect of the gas. »

«What effects?»

Ash frowned, his voice sounded… different. Was that what Pikachu was talking about?

Apparently no, because as soon as he asked, the pokemon looked away in shame.

«You didn't realized?»

«Realized what? That you can speak English?»

«It's the other way around.»

«Huh?»

«Here, look at yourself.»

And he handed him a bucket of water. Ash peeked inside of it, afraid of what he was supposed to see.

As soon as he saw himself, he snapped.

«AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH, NOT AGAIN! »

He was running in circles, screaming in panic. The other way around! Pikachu was not speaking English, HE was talking like a pikachu. He had been turned into one!

Again.

«Ash, CALM DOWN! »

He was slammed on the side and he began rolling on the grass. Before he got the chance to get up and start running again, Pikachu jumped on him and nailed him to the ground.

«Settle down. I know it's extremely freaky, but if you don't calm down, this will get worse. »

«Let me go, Pikachu! » Ash ordered.

«I already told you, I'm NOT Pikachu. »

«What? Who are you? »

«Guess. »

The Pikachu on top of him looked a little bit familiar. Some of its hairs were spiky on the top of his head.

«Sparky? » he asked, completely clueless.

«Who is that supposed to be? »

«One of my friend's pokemon. »

«Oh come on, if you were turned into a Pikachu, what makes you think I haven't? »

«Genno? »

«Yup. »

«Where's Pikachu? »

«He's sleeping inside. »

«What happened to us? »

«You turned into a Pikachu. »

«Yeah, thanks for the info. I mean, why did I turn into a pikachu? »

«To explain that will take a lot of time, do you mind if I get off of you and we go inside? »

«No… »

Now that he was calmer, Ash found it hard to walk on all four and the trip to the house, which was not that far, turned out to be longer than he thought.

Inside, everything looked huge and he was slowly beginning to freak out again. This was not a dream. He had been turned into a pokemon! His favorite pokemon, but still... he would have appreciated if it didn't happened without his consent.

Genno lead them to the living room and sat in the middle of the room.

«I'd usually say: «take a seat», but you're probably not used to your body enough to jump on the chairs. »

Ash had an annoyed look on his face.

«Alright.» Genno added. «The transformation… well, it would be easier to begin like this. My name is Genno Avery, the son of Jonathan Avery.»

Seeing as Ash was about to say something, Genno interrupted him.

«Let me finish! I was name like this after the Greek origin of the word «Genetic». My father is a poke-geneticist, one who studies the DNA of pokemon. Poke-geneticists were the ones who discovered how to make pokeballs, among other things, but my father was mostly interested in one particular pokemon: Ditto. The only pokemon upon whom Mew bestowed the transformation ability. »

He took a deep breath and continued.

«Two years ago, his research took a much more serious turn, since I had finally caught a Ditto. What was but speculative theories became much more serious ones, until they became facts. My father made major discoveries about pokemon DNA in the space of a year. For example, he discovered that the transforming abilities come from DNA production. »

«What's that? »

«To morph, a Ditto produces other creatures DNA and releases it inside its own body. The only difference between a ditto and the pokemon it morphed into is a fraction of ditto DNA hidden inside it. »

«Ok… and? »

«Well, my father succeeded in reproducing these DNA samples in big quantities. He found out that mixed with a certain fluid, namely water, it creates a chain reaction and triggers a transformation. The liquid in the sprinklers was some of the solution that my father duplicated.»

«Your father discovered something to turn humans into pokemon? »

«Well, that was not his goal. I think. But what's strange is that it was not supposed to be in the defense system. The last time I checked, it only shot nets to capture intruders. »

«So… what does this means? »

«Actually, it would be better if you let me continue. »

Ash simply nodded.

«The thing is, producing that kind of DNA samples is monstrously hard. To isolate the ditto's original DNA, it took him nearly a year. Then, the production also had its own practical difficulties. My father and I worked extremely hard to produce the first Ditto DNA solution, but…»

Genno stopped talking and began breathing heavily. There was hidden wrath in his voice.

«Ash, I'm sure you guessed by now, but there wasn't a power outage here. »

Okay, Ash wasn't going to tell anyone he had believed that part of his story.

«…What happened? »

« Well, it seems what we were doing was interesting for some. The night we finished the production, Team Blast broke into our house. »

«Who? »

Genno looked at him with an ironic smile.

«You've been away for a long time, haven't you? »

«Well…»

«They're Team Rocket's new rivals. Apparently, they were created by some Team Rocket's ex-member to take over Giovanni's business. They're dangerous. They are successfully stealing Team Rocket's influence bit by bits. I'm pretty sure that they are going to defeat Giovanni completely someday. »

«Bad guys succeeding at something… it feels weird…»

«You don't know the half of it. I woke up after they got in. Before I could even get out of my room, they had already capture my father. I only saw them briefly. Just when I got close enough to get them, they threw one of the test tubes at me. One containing the samples. I had to run away before they realized what it did. »

«What? But… this doesn't make sense. If they threw the same thing that affected me at you, you would have been a pokemon when we met. »

«What makes you think I wasn't? »

«You'd have to be blind not to see a difference between now and then. »

«Ash, I'm not a pikachu. »

With abyss deep irony, Ash answered:

«Yeah, you're also totally not covered in yellow fur, smaller than a dog, with a thunder shaped tail and the power to generate electricity. »

«Ash, we had just finished the DITTO samples when they came. » Genno said with an insisting emphasis on the word «DITTO».

«You mean…»

Deciding this was taking too long, Genno decided to just show his friend.

Just like an evolving pokemon, he was surrounded by glowing light and his shape began to change. However, he didn't become a raichu as the evolution process said. Instead, he became a mass of dark green matter, a green ditto.

«Does it make sense now? »

Ash was too stunned to talk. While he was looking for words, Genno turned back into a pikachu.

«The me you met a few days ago is actually the body of a random stranger I met after turning into a ditto. I just copied him to get a human body for a while. »

«Why… didn't you tell me?»

There was a lot of sadness in his voice. He thought of Genno as a friend. Knowing that he had so little trust in him was kind of… depressing.

«I… was afraid. You're a trainer and I thought that if you saw me… you might…»

«Catch you? »

«Yeah… »

Ash turned around. Could he just accept that? Genno just said that he was afraid of him. Part of him wanted to be angry, but another… if HE was a pokemon looking for help, would he easily believe a trainer he just met?

Unsurprisingly, he had no trouble trying to be in Genno's shoes. He remembered the first time he turned into a pokemon. He had not told the others at the time, but he had been secretly afraid of being Team Rocket's new target.

Ash turned back to Genno and said:

«Alright, I forgive you for that. More importantly, how do we become humans again? »

His friend looked at him in the eyes. There was a really solemn tone to his voice, it sounded like a doctor... announcing bad news.

«Ash, we were at the beginning of the research. We didn't even imagine it would be used that way. We didn't create a counter to the DNA samples. »

Ash felt a rock fell in his stomach.

«Are you saying…? »

«I don't know if it's possible for us to become humans again. »

He was a really pale yellow now. No antidote? He was STUCK as a pokemon this time? What about his dreams of being a pokemon master? That title was only for humans trainers. Heck, who would do a pokemon battle against a pikachu pretending to be a trainer? What about his friends? They wouldn't even understand him anymore. What about his mother? He would have no way of telling her. His life had been ruined in the space of a few hours. Out of nowhere. It was so… UNFAIR!

Ash did what most people who do when they feel like victims and pressure what getting too overwhelming. He ran away.

«ASH! ASH!»

Genno wasn't fast enough. When he got out of the house, he only saw a flash of yellow fur disappearing in the bushes of the woods.


	4. Wild

**Poke-genetics: wild**

He was not looking where he was going, it didn't matter. He was just running, going wherever his small pikachu's legs would bring him. Ash was crying. He had been told his life had been thrown out of the window. He was stuck. He was no longer Ash Ketchum, aspiring pokemon master, just a small pikachu that didn't even know where he was going. He didn't care.

* * *

Genno was also running, but he was inside his house and he was not as fast as Ash. Being a Pikachu was also new to him, he hadn't had the chance to try that morph before. Nonetheless, he arrived fairly quickly in his room. On his bed, Pikachu was still sleeping peacefully.

Not for long.

«Pikachu! Get up! »

«Huh? What's the big deal? » he asked in a sleepy tone.

«Ash is running away! We have to catch him before he gets too far! He does not realize how dangerous it can be for him right now! »

«WHAT? » the yellow mouse screamed.

* * *

«Woah! »

Ash fell to the ground. In his hurry, he hadn't jumped well enough and he had tripped on a root. He didn't bother to get up. He just stayed there, letting the tears flow. He needed it. What Genno told him was too much. Being turned into a pikachu was one hell of a freaky thing to happen, being stuck as a pikachu forever was another.

But as he spent time mopping, his sadness began to melt away. «Come on, Ash, you're better than this. » he told himself.

«What are you doing here? » something else told him.

Something… it wasn't a human. It was a pokemon.

Ash looked up slowly. Actually, it was not A pokemon, it was pokemon. He had just stumbled in a family reunion of rattatas and ratticates.

«Er… I… got lost. »

«Well, do that, now! » shouted a big ratticate.

It jumped toward him with the intention to bite, hard.

«Woah! » said Ash while he jumped on his right to dodge.

He began to run away. Again… only this time it was not to cry on his lost human life, it was to save his pokemon life from being bitten to death by a giant rat!

«I'll show you, you damn pikachu! »

«What have I done to you? » asked an almost desperate Ash.

«You think you can just enter our territory like that and get away with it? »

«Sorry! It was an accideeeeeeent! »

That didn't seem to matter to the ratticate as it continued to chase Ash, who was getting tired of all that running. Before long, he slowed down, out of breath. He just collapsed next to a river... and the ratticate pushed him over.

«Woah! Help! I can't swim like this! »

It was true; he was not able to coordinate his body well enough to stay out of the water all the time and even if he had been able to, he was too exhausted. The ratticate looked at the poor boy without even blinking and went back under the cover of the trees.

«Am I going to die like this? Alone, without anybody to ever know that it was Ash Ketchum that drowned here, that the pikachu they might found was once human? I… I won't accept this! I DON'T WANT TO DIE»

Fighting with his last resources, he slowly got closer to the river bank. «Just… a few… more meters…» Then he noticed the shadow that swooped upon him.

Ash felt much lighter all of a sudden. It was at that moment he felt a jolt of primal fear. He had just been picked up by a fearow!

«You'll make a nice snack, little mouse. »

«I taste horrible! »

«Ah, pathetic. » it exclaimed as it burst laughing.

As the laugh was echoing in his mind, Ash was seriously getting angry. What kind of day was that? Had the universe decided that today was the worst day of his life or what? In the sharp claws, he struggled to get free, cutting himself in the process. But that didn't stop him; he was just so fed up with his life right now that he was not even noticing he was bleeding.

«Stop struggling so much, feeble prey. » ordered the bird of prey.

«Don't… ORDER ME AROUND!»

A ridiculously powerful thunderbolt erupted from Ash's body and fried the fearow. The bird was knocked out instantly… in the middle of flight.

«AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! » screamed Ash as he was falling to meet the ground.

He braced himself for the impact. The trees were getting closer… closer… WAY TOO CLOSE! In a matter of seconds, he had passed through the branches and the leaves and met the ground.

Pain. That was the message his body was sending to his brain and his brain received the message perfectly. «My body… won't move…»

«Growlithe, look! A wild pikachu! »

«No… way… I can't be that unlucky…»

«Growlithe, use flamethrower! »

The orange canine took a deep breath and got ready to shot a powerful flame attack. The dog tried to launch his attack as his trainer ordered…

«Chuuuuuuuuuuu! »

A lightning strike erupted from the bushes and hit the growlithe.

«Huh? Who's there? Who did that to my pokemon? »

«Ash! » shouted a worried Pikachu.

The pokemon ran toward his master at full speed.

«Did they do this to you? »

«HEY! » screamed another familiar person.

The trainer and his growlithe raised their heads and saw Genno sitting on a branch, an angry look on his face.

«Normally, I'd insult you for doing something like this, but since you can't probably understand anything I say, I'll do this instead. »

And he took out his tongue at them and made an obscene gesture.

The young man gritted his teeth and ordered:

«Growlithe, use Tackle on the one in the tree! »

«Thank you. » whispered Genno.

Just as the dog pokemon was about to it him, he jumped down in the bushes.

«Pikachu! Hide Ash now! »

And the growlithe hit the tree, leaving it shaking. The poor dog staggered in confusion, making a pathetic «Grooooowlithe…» sound.

«Growlithe! Are you alright? »

Genno observed the teenager that was worrying about his pokemon. The guy wasn't inherently bad; he just stumbled on the wrong pikachu. Before his pokemon got better, the trainer heard a strange buzzing noise.

«That's weird, it's almost like a…»

A massive swarm of beedrills descended from the tree that the growlithe had hit.

«SWARM OF BEEDRILLS! » he shouted.

The bug pokemon looked really pissed that someone dared to hit their nest like that. They had decided that whoever did it would never do it again. In a frighteningly well synchronized movement, they all flew toward the horrified kid… who ran for his li… well, not for his life, but for the safety of his delicate skin.

Cautious, Genno waited a few moments to make sure there wasn't any other beedrill left.

«It's clear. No more aggressive bugs in sight, Pikachu. »

Both of them got out of the bushes, one of them carrying his unconscious best friend on his shoulder.

«Even as a pokemon, he's heavy! »

Genno didn't laugh; instead he looked at Ash's wounds.

«Those are pretty serious wounds. Pikachu, most weren't even done by that trainer. I'll transport him back to my house. »

* * *

For the second time today, Ash woke up unable to move. He didn't like the tendency that his awakenings were following recently. Feebly, he opened his eyes to see Pikachu looking worryingly at him.

« Ash! You're awake! Thank Mew. How are you feeling? »

«Like I got bitten, pushed in a river, scratched by a giant bird's claw and fell from the sky. »

Pikachu's face got a lot paler when he heard that.

«Well… huh… Genno took you back to his house and he patched you up. You're inside his room. »

Ash finally noticed where he was. His small Pikachu body was resting on a medium-sized bed. The room looked a lot like Ash's. If you replaced the pokemon plushies with atoms models and the posters of pokemon masters with those of great scientists that is. «He must really love his dad's research. » he thought. «I wonder if he wants to become a poke-geneticist like him…»

The realization hit him. Genno's situation was as bad as him and he didn't get all moppy about it. He could have said that he didn't want to get turn like that, but Genno didn't either. Plus, he was the one who insisted to enter that damn lab. Even worse, Genno had his father to worry about. From what he said, Team Blast members weren't exactly nice guys.

«Where is he now? » Ash asked.

«Downstairs I think. He said something about Viridian city. »

«What? But we can't go to a city. What would three pikachus do there? People would want to catch us and I'm pretty sure a pokeball isn't my idea of confortable. I mean, isn't it really small in there? »

«Well, maybe you understand why I hate it now. »

«Hey, I heard voices. Is Ash awake? » Genno asked from downstairs.

There was something really weird about his voice this time. It didn't sound like a Pikachu at all this time. Did his friend morph into something else? Did he turn into that stranger he met again?

«Yes, he is, Genno. » answered Pikachu.

«Okay, I'm coming over; tell him to be decent when I arrive. »

«Very funny» Ash muttered.

«Hey Ash, you need to rest for a few days before we can move somewhere else. Luckily, that's the time you would have needed to get use to your Pikachu body anyway. So, we'll try both at the same time. Don't worry, there's a master at walking on four legs next to you, he'll teach you.

Pikachu chuckled a little.

«Anyway, once that's done, we'll go to Viridian city. I found the address of one of my father's old friend from university. If I give him my father's note, he may be able to do something about our condition. »

«Great! »

Ash jumped out of bed.

«When are we goiOUCH. »

Apparently, his injured body wasn't ready at all. So, he crashed to the floor and the pain got bigger than ever.

«Guess I really need that «getting used to the body» training. »

«Ash. Are you okay? »

«Huh, I think so, Pikachu. »

«Oh, good, I won't feel bad for doing this then. »

And he began to laugh at his master. Ash wasn't even bothered. There was still hope. It was exactly as if an enormous weight had been taken off his shoulders.

«Ash? Was that you? » inquired Genno, now on the same floor as them.

«Yeah, I jumped off of your bed. »

«Stupid idea. I don't want to have to get my first aid kit out of my bathroom again, you know? »

«Alright, alright, I'll just stop moving from now on. »

«Good. That's exactly what your body need right now. »

From this close, Genno's voice didn't just sound weird. It was also familiar, too familiar.

«You should make the most of this situation. We might need to travel a lot before getting results. »

And Genno entered the room in a human body.

Ash's jaw dropped to the floor. Genno was human-looking, that was for sure, but he wasn't the one he had met on the road a few days ago. Genno looked exactly like what he used to be. He had turned into a perfectly human Ash!


	5. Recovery

**Poke-genetics: recovery**

«Is that… me? »

Genno tried not to be ironic. It was a pretty big shock to see yourself talk to you, even more when you weren't yourself at the time.

«Yeah… I copied you when I realized you were changing… to make sure you didn't just vanish off the face of the Earth to everyone else. I thought it would ease your pain a little if your friends weren't trying to look everywhere for you while you might be just in front of them. »

«Oh. That's… »

Good? Brilliant? Tactless? He wasn't sure how to describe it. It was a pretty good reason and he was surprised Genno thought of that while he was turning into a pokemon, but… still… all he wanted was to get inside his own body. And his body was not even five meters away. It was harsh.

«I'd understood if you'd be mad, Ash. I'm not sure how I'd reacted if I was in your shoes. »

«No, you don't need to feel bad. It's hard, but it's not your fault. If anything, I should just be mad at Team Blast. They were the ones that started this whole mess. Anyway, I think I should just… »

He wanted to add something, but his body reminded him how badly he needed to rest. He fainted mid-sentence.

«Wow, I think that was too much for him, Pikachu. »

«Will he be alright? » he asked in a worried tone.

Genno lifted Ash and put him back in his bed.

«I already told you that. He'll be just fine if he rest. I gave him enough super potions to kill a ghost pokemon. His body is in a much better shape now than when we found him. All Ash needs is his body building up strength again. »

«Still…»

«You can just stay with him if that makes you feel better. Just tell me when he wakes up; he'll have to eat something. »

«Okay. »

* * *

For once, Ash could move when he escaped the darkness of unconsciousness. «Well, that's a nice change. I hope it'll stay that way. That too could become a nice habit. » He had just seen a plate of food on the other side of the bed. It was a big, nice hamburger with French fries and ketchup.

His stomach didn't lose any time and shouted his approval. Ash literally jumped on the food.

«Thanks for the food! » he shouted before taking an enormous bite of hamburger.

Naturally, he had seen too big. He didn't consider his body was that of a mouse. He choked.

Pikachu, who was waiting on the ground for him to wake up, reacted quickly. As Ash's face was getting blue, he got behind him and did the Heimlich maneuver.

Between two abdominal thrust, Pikachu scolded his master.

«Seriously Ash.»

He gave another thrust.

«After you choked so many times, one would believe…»

He thrust harder.

«… that you'd have learned to chew! »

Ash expelled a big piece of hamburger that flew all the way to the face of a famous scientist on the wall.

As Ash was catching his breath, Pikachu looked at the mess on the poster.

«Hum… I'm pretty sure that's not the kind of decoration Genno wanted for his room. »

«Is he awake? » asked the said person.

«Yes. »

«Ok, I'm coming and remind him to chew slowly. He might have trouble swallowing. »

Pikachu glared at Ash.

«It's too late for that… »

«SORRY. »

«Just chew. »

He didn't need to be told twice. He got back to his meal in the second.

It felt good to do something normal for once. Nothing crazy like turning into a pikachu or almost being capture by the first trainer he crossed path with. He was just eating a crazy good hamburger with French fries. Mew, that was nice.

«So, how are you feeling now? » Genno said as he entered the room.

«Muberfh. » Ash answered with his mouth full.

«What? »

Ash took a few more seconds to chew completely before swallowing. One choking per day was more than enough.

«I said: much better. »

Two more bites and the snack was gone.

«Whew, that hit the spot. »

Genno and Pikachu looked at each other and smiled. If he could eat like that, he wasn't in a bad shape.

«Well, Ash, I must tell you something that you won't like. »

Suspecting the worst, Ash reluctantly asked:

«What is it? »

«A pikachu's diet is essentially made up of berries. You'll have to eat less meat from now on. »

«Oh, I thought you were going to say something about the poke-geneticist or somethi… wait, what? Less meat? You have got to be kidding me! »

«Ask Pikachu. »

Solemnly, the mouse pokemon nodded.

«Oh great! » said Ash, sulking a little.

And he was getting in a better mood minutes ago. So much for that.

«Don't worry. They're better than they look. » Pikachu said to encourage him.

«But I'm not a normal pikachu! »

«Except the human mind, you're exactly the same as Pikachu. You'll have to deal with it. »

«…fine… »

«Great, now you can begin to train. »

«Already? »

«Nothing big, just you learning how to walk and jump. »

He took a few seconds before adding:

«Then, when your body will be healed up, you'll train a little for pokemon battles. »

Ash stared at him in disbelief.

«Pokemon battles? You're not serious, are you? »

Contrary to what one might think, he didn't like the idea of fighting in a pokemon battle himself. Sure, he'd jump in if his pals needed help, but…

«Oh yes, I am. You know how to tackle and that's pretty much the most basic attack a pokemon could ever learn. Oh, you can do tail wipe too, but if you intend to use THAT, tell me so I can get a camera. »

«Hey! I used Thunderbolt on that fearow, you know. »

«Consciously? »

«Err…»

«Ash, I know it's not fun at all, but if you have to be on your own for a while, we'd appreciate it if you weren't a bloody mess again. »

«Can't I… you know, just continue to use my pokemon? »

Genno seemed surprised, then looked at Pikachu, who didn't understand the emotion on Genno's face.

«You don't know? »

«Know what? »

«Your pokemon aren't here anymore… »

«WHAT? Where are they? »

«In professor Oak's lab. »

«You sent them back without telling me? »

«No! It just… happened by itself. »

Ash wasn't buying it.

« Seriously, you expect me to believe that they just teleported there for no reason? »

«There is a reason. There wasn't any human nearby. »

«What does that have to do with anything? »

«Everything. It's a feature of the pokeballs. Whenever a pokemon gets a hold of a pokeball for too long, the pokeball is directly sent to the professor registered in it. It was made to prevent wild pokemon from taking away a trainer's pokemon. The pokemon inside the ball could have been lost forever, so they add this auto-recall thing on them. »

«I've never heard of that. »

«It's a new thing. A pokemon center must have added the update automatically the last time you went in one. So, when you turned into a pikachu, the pokeballs considered that a pokemon stole them and they teleported back to Oak's lab. »

«They're all gone? »

«Yes, and you can't get them back until you are human again, otherwise they'd just disappear again. We're just lucky you don't keep Pikachu in his pokeball. »

«One more reason to hate them… » the yellow pokemon whispered.

«Actually, Pikachu, there's even more reasons to hate them. I read some of my father's researches and there was an essay on pokeballs mechanism. »

«What's the problem? »

«A pokeball works by locking on the caught pokemon DNA, so it will only work on it. »

«That makes sense. »

«Right now, I believe that our DNA is stable, but could still be modified by a great poke-geneticist. The big problem is that if you and I get caught in pokeballs, it will lock our DNA and then the change will be permanent.»

«You mean permanent as in forever, ever? »

«That kind of permanent, yes. »

He let the information sink in. If they hadn't gotten to him in time in the forest… just thinking about it made him shivers.

«As you now realize, it's important that you don't get trashed by the first trainer you meet. You'd had to serve him for the rest of your life. »

* * *

Curiously, during the next few days, Ash was extremely dedicated to his training.

Trainer and pokemon had their role switched for once and while Ash wasn't particularly pleased or bothered, Pikachu enjoyed it a lot.

«Your knees are too weak! You won't be able to do a decent quick-attack with that stance! »

And he was a bit of a military when it came to training.

«Aouch! »

Pikachu, as a merciless coach, had just swipe Ash's legs with his tail to prove his point.

«Hey! Easy! I'm still a poor trainer stuck in the body of a pikachu, you know! »

«That's no excuse! » replied Pikachu as he thundershocked him. «Plus, a pikachu's body is plenty strong. »

If Ash had been human, he'd have been hurt. Luckily, his pokemon body could take electric attacks fairly well.

«Now, do it properly. »

«Yes, sergeant…»

«Did you say something? » he asked in an authoritative tone.

Genno looked through the window with an amused grin. Both of them were getting used to the situation. Ash had seemed to accept he couldn't just be desperate about it, though he did «complained» a lot. Both Genno and Pikachu knew they weren't serious and considered them as jokes.

He saw another flash of yellow light outside. Ash had made another mistake. Though it was more about the landing than the starting move this time. He had headbutted a tree that had decided to stay where it was… a tree with a solid trunk.

Genno tried not to think about what it would be like when it would be time to do the thunder bolt training…

His father's rubber suit would probably a really useful thing to have when it would be time for that dreaded training.

Indeed, that day, Genno was watching at a prudent distance and was wearing a rubber suit too big for Ash's body.

Pikachu and Ash were both staring at each other in the middle of the courtyard.

«Remember Ash, your goal is to be able to perform a thunder bolt attack while fighting a moving target. Ready? »

«Bring it on! »

Both pikachus ran towards the other.

«Double frontal assault? » though Genno, a bit surprised.

When they were but inchs away, Ash did a quick-attack.

«Wow. Good thinking. »

Pikachu immediately jumped on his right and countered the assault with an iron tail. Ash only saw a big flashy tail make contact with his face. The hit made him flew the air on a meter or so. Without losing time, Pikachu jumped over him and attempted another iron tail.

«Woah! Incoming! »

He dodged the attack by a hair. Literally.

Ash tackled Pikachu to the ground and charged a thunder bolt. Before he had the time to finish, Pikachu quick-attacked out of the way and the electric attack missed.

«Not bad, Ash, but you have a long way to go before that hits me! »

Pikachu decided it was time to show Ash what a real quick-attack was like. He poured all his body strength into his legs and jumped forward.

Ash didn't have the time to blink. He had been head-butted into the stomach. Really hard.

«Ouffff… » Ash said as his lung lost their oxygen.

«CHUUUUUUUUUU! »

Ash rolled on his left, dodging a lightning bolt at the last second. He got on his legs with difficulty this time. He was breathing loudly. Pokemon battles were this exhausting? How come some of his pokemon were eager to fight?

«You're not focused enough! » shouted Pikachu as he hit him with an iron tail.

He tried not to pause as he saw his master on the ground, shaking heavily. He slapped himself once. He was doing this to help him. If he wasn't serious, he'd be in trouble in a real fight. «Okay, Pikachu, just get this over with.» he said to himself.

Ash couldn't stop trembling, he was in pain. His first pokemon battle ever was a really bad experience so far. Maybe it would have been better not to have tried in the first place.

Wait. What did he just think? Was he really a quitter like that?

Ash was angry at himself now. He may have been turned into a pokemon, but he wasn't going to let himself think like a boy too afraid to even try! Mustering all his remaining strength, he concentrated on his cheeks.

«Wow, are they really going to do what I think they are? » wondered Genno, fascinated by the battle.

They did. Both Pikachu and Ash released their thunder bolt attack at the same time.

The lightning attacks clashed.

«Wow, scary. I'm glad I'm wearing that rubber suit. »

He had good reasons to be. The attacks meeting had caused lightning bolt to be shot all over the courtyard. And the pikachus were still attacking!

«I'm not giving up, I'm not giving up, I'm not GIVING UP! » Ash repeated.

His whole body was feeling hot now. «I must… » His body betrayed him. His lightning bolt interrupted and Pikachu's hit him dead on.

Genno and Pikachu ran toward him as he screamed in pain.

«Ash, are you alright? » they asked.

«Huh… I've felt better. »

«Why did you shot a lightning bolt when you couldn't even get up ? » Genno said, angry at the recklessness of his friend.

«I just… didn't want to quit. »

«Honestly, you should learn when to. »

Ash didn't answer, instead he turned to look at Pikachu.

«So, how was I, coach? »

«Hum… better than I thought. »

«Really? » asked Ash with sparkling stars in his eyes.

«Yeah, you'd do fine if you were to battle with pichus. »

Ash felt his ego take a powerful hit in the face.

«So in your opinion, I wasn't even supposed to be able to fight baby pokemon? »

«Well, not on your first try…»

«Oh great… »

«Stop sulking Ash, at least, you're able to compete a little. You have no idea how many times I got my bottom kicked by random wild pokemon before meeting you. » Genno said.

«How many times? »

«Hum… I stop counting after the seventeenth time. I'm a pathetic fighter. »

«It didn't look that way when you two rescued me. »

«I only taunted him into attacking something else, that's not exactly me being a good fighter.»

«If you say so… »

«Anyway, let's get you inside. You're done for today. And you better rest. Tomorrow; we're going to Viridian city. »


	6. Viridian City

**Poke-genetics: Viridian city**

Someone almost step on him. AGAIN. He was getting tired of this. Couldn't people just look where they were putting their feet? Sure, they were in a crowd, in the middle of a city, but he wasn't the only pokemon smaller than a human around here, was he?

«Hey! Look down a little! » he growled to an absent-minded guy that just kicked him without even realizing.

«Ash. Stop shouting. They don't even understand you. »

«That's not a reason to kick me for Mew's sake! How do you manage to be healthy after walking in a city, Pikachu? »

«I just dodge or jump on your shoulder. Careful! »

Ash shouted a very lood «Pika! » to another person that should have looked down a little. The woman jumped back in surprise and quickly moved away.

«Hurrrggh, can't you just turn into something frightening like a Gengar or a furious Gyarados? »

«I already told you about that, remember? »

He did.

They had been walking through the forest for a long time. After the fifth time they fell off a hill (Genno wasn't as good with direction as he though apparently), Ash just said in an angry tone:

«ARGH! Can't you just turn into a pidgeot and FLY with us on your back? »

«No, I can't. » Genno answered just as rudely. «Maybe you never researched pokemon, but you should have guessed I can only turn into something I meet. The only way for me to morph into a creature I'm not staring at is by locking on it. »

«Locking?»

«Yeah, I can save a sample inside my body and hide it. It will stay there even if I change to something else and I can then morph into that whenever I want. Unfortunately, I can only keep one sample at a time. Right now, that spot is taken by your human appearance. So unless we see a big flying type pokemon, we'll have to walk our way to town. »

«Fine, but Pikachu's the one leading the way from now on. »

They had stayed silent for a little while after that.

«Yeah, yeah, still if I get step on one more time… OUCH, THAT'S IT! »

Ash jumped on the guy's leg and bit him.

«Aouch! What was that for, you rat! »

Oh, he was asking for it.

«CHUUUUUUUUU! »

The guy fell to the ground, looking charred. Ash kicked him and triumphly said:

«That's for calling me a rat, you loser! »

«What's happening here? » asked a feminine voice.

«Oh, great… » mumbled Genno.

An officer Jenny got out of the crowd and stopped in front of them.

«What is this ruckus all about? »

She looked at the stupid guy, then at Ash, then at Genno.

«I suppose one your pikachus is responsible for this. »

«Ehh… I caught him the other day. He's still not used to being in a crown… and he was tired of being stepped on. »

«Yeah, and he insulted me too! »

«Oh, and that guy have just called him a rat too. »

The officer stared at him. That face reminded her of someone.

«You look familiar… do you have a criminal record? »

Ash loudly shouted a negative «Pika! ».

«No. » replied Genno.

The officer tried to see if he was lying, but was reassured by what she saw.

«Very well. I'll believe you for now, but you'll have to go to a pokemon center. I want you to make him pass an aggressivity test. If it is negative, you'll have to keep him in his pokeball. »

Jenny noticed their horrified look. They looked at her as if she had condemned them to jail for a lifetime, which ironically, was not too far from the truth.

«You're not serious, are you? »

«I'm always serious at work. Follow me; I'll escort you to the pokemon center. »

Genno glared at Ash.

«Congratulation, Ash. Couldn't you have just endured it for a few more minutes? »

«Would you enjoy being kicked because you're small? »

«No, but I wouldn't have caught the attention of a police officer by shooting lightning! »

To avoid making the case worse, Genno had to pick him up and carried him in his arms.

«Well, that's humiliating. » Ash whispered. «I look like a baby that can't walk now. »

«Oh, zip it, Ash! »

The trip to the pokemon center was quick and incidentless. People were getting out of the way of a police officer.

They were welcomed by the usual: «Hello, how may I help you? »

«Hello Joy, I'd like it if you could make this fellow's Pikachu pass an aggressivity test. »

«Oh my, that cute pokemon sure doesn't look aggressive. »

Ash was making every bit of effort to look as cute and gentle as possible. There was no way he'd get stuck as a pokemon forever because a guy walked on him.

«He fried a random passerby. »

«Oh my. »

«Hey, that guy had just kicked him and insulted him! » corrected Genno.

«Anyway, I'd like it if you gave me a copy of the results after you're done, Joy. »

«Of course, officer. »

«Very well, I'll go back to do my street patrol then. »

They all waited for the female officer to get out before they talked again.

«Well, young trainer, take your pikachus with you and follow me. »

«Sure. »

Ash was very nervous by the time they arrived in front of a colorful door. What would they do if he failed? They couldn't put him in a pokeball, he hadn't (thank Mew) been catch yet. What would they do?

«The test will take place in the nursery. »

Ash gasped. The nursery? He'd be place with children?

«If he can take care of those baby pokemon without losing patience, he'll definitely pass my test. »

Oh Mew, what had he gotten himself into? He had zero knowledge about taking care of babies.

He was still panicking when Nurse Joy took him from Genno's arm and entered the room with him.

The place was… colorful, at the very least. Everything was painted in yellow, blue and pink. «My eyes! » he thought. When he opened them again, he was just over a children park. A few of the baby pokemon had seen him and were cheerfully giggling.

«Well, here you are, little pikachu. Don't worry, they are not dangerous at all. »

«Oh, and why am I feeling like running then? »

«Here you go. Take care. »

And her cheerful voice sounded like a death sentence.

Ash didn't know what to do, he was surrounded by pink barriers and the babies were getting closer, blabbing things like «Play! » and «Mama. ».

Oh, he was so not ready for this.

* * *

Genno was struggling for air. He couldn't stop laughing. Next to him, Pikachu was trying to suppress his hilarity, but he couldn't either. They were hoping Ash didn't look at them or he'd be sure to fail the aggressivity test.

«Oh my, are you alright? You're almost blue. » Joy asked them with a little bit of worry in her voice.

«Yhaha… yes… we're hahaha… alright. Aaaaah. »

It was good to laught like this.

«You should try to breathe a little, it always help. »

«Alright… »

He looked at Pikachu.

«Do you need to be examined while we're here? »

«No, I'm fine. »

«Okay, then. Come with me, we'll try to get in touch with my father's friend. »

* * *

Ash was on the verge of breaking down. It was impossible for him to take care of them all. He was already being overwhelmed. He already had an igglybuff in his arms, a pichu on his head and a clefable following him around. Oh, and that was without the Mime Jr. that was imitating him.

An alarm clock rang on the wall. «Feeding time» was written on an electronic screen. As if synchronized with the machine, most of the young pokemon stomachs growled.

«Oh oh. »

They all started to cry.

* * *

Genno and Pikachu were walking down the streets. Genno was completely silent. He was extremely nervous. They were about to meet a great poke-geneticist. That alone was enough to make him nervous, but it was more the part where Ash's fate and his were in that stranger's hand. What would they do if he said that he couldn't do anything? Worse. What would they do if he said there was nothing to be done? Ash's acceptation of his condition was mostly based upon the fact that if they worked hard enough, they'd change back. If there wasn't even hope, he'd break down. And Genno wasn't sure if he could keep himself from doing the same.

Suddenly, Pikachu shouted.

«Genno, stop! »

«What is it? »

«Look. » he said while pointing a shop.

«What about it? »

«There's a way we could make sure Ash isn't sulking after his little test. »

Now, that was something to make his worries fly away for a while.

* * *

There was too much to worry about at the same time! Ash had just finished giving nursing bottles to every baby that they were already moving everywhere again. Some were even making trouble.

«Azuuuuuuuuuuuu! »

«Hey, Magby, stop bullying Azurill! »

The fire pokemon looked defiantly at the small pokemon trying to get in his way. He pushed him and Ash flew just high enough to be catch by the net.

«The next time Pikachu says I'm ready to fight baby pokemon, I'll strangle him. »

* * *

They were wandering in the shop when Genno saw something that caught his eyes. Pikachu looked at him and said in an apprehensive tone:

«You're not going to… »

«Why not? »

* * *

Things were finally calming down. The baby pokemon were finally getting tired of all that playing and eating. One by one, Ash put them to their bed, nest or mini-caves. A few were reluctant at first, including the Magby, but slowly, their eyelids were getting heavier and they went to sleep too.

«Whew… I can't believe people actually like babies. »

He was now walking around, being extra-careful not to bump into any sleeping kids. Even one of them crying would result in an apocalyptic chorus of pokemon voices.

He nearly jumped in surprise when one of them grabbed his tail.

It took him a lot of effort not to utter a sound.

He looked down and saw a sobbing pichu.

«Daddy? »

«I'm not your daddy! » Ash whispered.

«No daddy? » said the little mouse pokemon, tears appearing in the corners of his eyes.

RED ALERT!

«Yes, yes, daddy! » he corrected as fast as possible.

The tears disappeared and the pichu looked unbelievably happy.

«Daddy! »

He jumped on Ash, who fell on his back. The pichu was now burying its face in Ash chest. In a matter of seconds, it fell asleep on him.

«Well, that is awkward. » he thought.

But he felt a strange warmth in his chest.

* * *

When they came back to the pokemon center, Genno and Pikachu were surprised to see that Officer Jenny had returned. They were even more surprised as they saw that she had a tender look on her face, completely to the opposite of the severe attitude form earlier. Both her and nurse Joy were talking like they were quite moved by something.

«They're so cute like that. » said Jenny.

«It's as if they're family. »

«He passed this test with flying colours. »

«There's no doubt about that. All the babies were sleeping like angels. »

«Hum… excuse us, ladies, but how is my pikachu? »

«Come with me. » said Nurse Joy with a smile.

Pikachu and Genno's jaws dropped to the floor. Ash was sleeping with a Pichu on his chest! It was so touching that Pikachu felt a little bit of instinct catch up to him.

It was hard to recover Ash as the little pichu was clinging to him with all his strength. With a lot of patience, they finally separated them, though the pichu seemed a bit sadder in its sleep.

* * *

Ash yawned.

«Oh, did I fall asleep? »

Both of his friends nodded simultaneously.

«Why are you looking at me like that? »

«No reason. »

Pikachu was strangely silent.

«Is something wrong, pal? »

Pikachu seemed startled by the question.

«O…of course not. »

Genno and Ash exchanged a look. Pikachu was definitely a bad liar.

«A…anyway, we've bought you something to cheer you up. »

«Really? What is it? »

«Tadaaa! » said the pokemon as he presented something to his master.

A very familiar something! Ash took the present with awe.

«A cap! It's the same as my old one! »

Without wasting a second, he put it on his pikachu head.

«Ahhhh, that's much better. I was missing my hat. Thanks guys, you're the bests! »

It was then that Genno put something around his neck.

«Hey! What are you doing? »

«Something to prevent you from being mistaken for a wild pokemon. »

«Isn't the cap enough of a hint? »

«Nope, you might lose it. That, on the other hand… »

Ash looked down and gasped in horror. A collar? What was he? A growlithe?

«Take it back! » he ordered as he tried to reach, without success, the knot on the back of his neck.

«What's written? You changed my NAME? »

«I'm supposed to be you right now. Having a pokemon with the same name would be pretty stupid, no? »

«That's no excuse. What did you write? Ash… ashchu? »

«I mixed your name with «pikachu». It doesn't sound too bad, don't you think? »

«I think it's stupid! »

«I also have one with «Volty» on it… » said Genno with a casual voice.

«Ashchu, it is. »

«Good, now let's go. We didn't have the time to find my father's friend before coming here. »

«Okay. »

As they got out of the pokemon center under the benevolent «Come back again.» of Nurse Joy, Genno froze for a second.

«Genno? » asked both Ash and Pikachu.

He began walking again. Genno looked extremely uncomfortable.

«Hey, are you alright? » they asked.

Again, he did not answer his friends' question. Instead, he stopped at the first public bench he saw and he opened his backpack.

«Hey, we're talking to you! »

Genno got a cellphone out of his backpack and winked at Ash. He tried to look natural as he pretended to compose a number. Then, just like someone answered, he began talking.

«Oh hello James, remind me, is your sister, the blond one… Stephanie, working in a T-Bone restaurant? … oh, I was just wondering… I saw a box of those just a few minutes ago and it bugged me. Well, thank you. So, did anything interesting happen to you recently? »

What was he doing? Had he lost it? What Genno had just said made no sense.

Ash understood as he was struck by inspiration. Box!

Think outside the box.

He was trying to tell him something. What did he just say? He pretended to call a guy to talk about his sister, a blond girl, he had added.

«Pikachu! Look for a blonde woman! »

Genno smiled as he pretended to talk over the phone, mostly about insignificant things.

«There, I found her, Ash! »

Both pikachus stared for a second at an elegant lady with long blond hair. She was walking in a feline manner that matched a mannequin. She was just a few meters away from them.

«Ok, we found the one he was talking about. But what is so special about her? »

«Yeah, the first thing I'll do tomorrow will be to go get a good T-bone at that restaurant your sister is working for. » Genno loudly said.

Okay, he gave them another hint.

«Your sister is working… who could that woman be working for, Pikachu? »

«I don't know, but Genno mentioned T-bones a lot. »

«Yeah… »

What was it? Ash felt that it was really important. First thing… First letters! T and B…

Ash gasped and told Pikachu:

«That woman is working for Team Blast! »


	7. Mister Stan Folklow

**Poke-genetics: Mister Stan Folklow**

Genno closed his cellphone after saying a «Bye, it's been nice talking to you again. ».

Ash looked at Genno in confusion.

«How can you tell she's from Team Blast? »

He could talk freely; nobody would understand him except Genno. His friend, on the other end, had to think of a way to tell him without alerting the woman.

Genno smiled and petted him, just like any ordinary trainer.

«Yes, we're going to that restaurant, the one we went to with my father. »

Okay, she was one of the members that kidnapped his father.

«What are we going to do? »

Genno pretended to think of something.

«Hum… maybe we should try to find Stephanie first. What do you say? »

«We could follow her… »

«She might be mad if we arrive at the wrong moment, though... »

«Yeah, I understand that it will be dangerous if she finds us, but if she can gives us even a hint about your father, it'll be worth it. »

«You're a great pokemon, you know? »

«Wow, it's the first time someone tells me that. »

«But it's the second time you were turned into a pikachu though. » Pikachu added mischievously.

The trailing was not exactly easy. That woman clearly wasn't an anonymous henchman. She was constantly looking around, always in a subtle manner. More than once, Genno had to pretend to look for his way, asking random passersby.

They all thought their hearts would stop when they saw the woman walked right toward them.

«Hello, cuties. I'm Janes. »

«Hello… » Genno said mechanically.

«You seem lost, boys. May I help you? »

«Huh… we're huhh… looking for the Heaven's plate! »

«Oh, I know that place! Come with me, I'll take you there. »

They had no choice but to comply. Had they refused, they'd have looked even more suspicious.

Quite to their surprise, she was extremely nice to them. That she noticed how tensed the boys were was unsure. She had been a little self-absorbed and spoke of her life to them. After a five minute walk with her, they knew her boyfriend was a horrible, egoistical jerk that she couldn't do anything but love with all her might, that she loved pokemon, that she had finished studying law in University and that she was traveling to get a little experience as a trainer before beginning to work as an advocate. They also had knowledge about her parents being a little insecure about Team Rocket's behavior (how ironic, they thought).

«Well here you are, boys, the Heaven's plate. »

«Thanks for showing the way, Janes. »

«Oh, it was my pleasure; my boyfriend is also very bad at directions. Anyway, have a nice meal. I heard they serve lovely T-Bones there. »

All three of them felt their bodies freeze in horror.

«Goodbye. » she waved at them with an innocent smile.

«G… goodbye. »

They had to resist with all their might not to run in the opposite direction. Instead, they entered the restaurant.

They sat at the nearest table. Once they had all sit, Genno hit the table with his head, unaware of the cold looks he got from the waiter.

«I am so stupid! »

He hit himself once more.

«I should have waited until we were out of sight to tell you. »

«If you did that, we wouldn't have been able to follow her. »

«You saw how well that went? She definitely knows we were trying to follow her. »

«No, that's not sure. » replied Pikachu. «She only said that there were nice T-Bones here. »

«Oh come on, Pikachu, you know very well what it stood for. »

«We do, but she might not have. She could have just overheard you without understanding the reference. »

Genno and Ash were both looking at him with amazement. It could also be that simple.

«Come on, Genno, Pikachu's right. It sure took me a while to understand your message and I knew there was something hidden. »

«Sir. »

Genno turned around to see a waiter with a notebook, standing as straight as a broom.

«If you're done talking to your pokemon, you might want to order something. »

Genno felt his face become red in embarrassment.

* * *

«That was so humiliating! They all looked at me like I was crazy. »

«Oh, it wasn't that bad. »

Ash grinned.

«Of course not. You tried to make me talk to you the whole time. »

«Hey, I've gotta use whatever advantage there is to being a pokemon, don't you think? »

Genno suddenly looked everywhere under the confused eyes of Ash and Pikachu. When he saw there wasn't a soul, he grinned too.

«Yup. We've gotta use all the advantages! »

He turned into a pikachu and he jumped on Ash.

«That's for the restaurant! » Genno said as he pushed him to the ground.

«That's for the collar! » Ash rolled and pushed him to the ground.

Pikachu tried to interfere, but they both pulled him into the fight. Soon, all three pokemon were rolling everywhere while trying to push the other two on the ground. When the friendly brawl ended, they were one on top of the other. As soon as they realized in which position they were, they all burst out laughing.

«Here, Ash, your cap. »

«Thanks buddy. »

«What are you three doing here? » inquired a strange looking man.

«Oh Mew! » said Genno. « Ash, Pikachu, stay here, I'm coming back in a second. »

They had just noticed he was running away. Having faith in him, they stayed calmly where they were. The man's glare was severe but not angry. He opened his mouth to say something else when he was interrupted.

«Sir, have you see my two pikachus? They got into a fight with a third one and I lost them. »

Genno, in Ash's human body, had just come back.

«Are those the ones? » he asked as he lifted them.

«Yes! Thanks you very much for finding them. You're my hero! » Genno complimented him as he took his friends.

«Well… » he scratched his head, embarrassed. «I didn't do much. They were already in my courtyard when I found them. »

«Many would have tried to kidnap such great pokemon, but you are so honest you didn't even think about it. »

The man was slowly turning red, but his smile was certainly not disappearing.

«What are you doing? » asked Ash.

«I'm so happy to meet a great scientist such as you. » Genno continued, ignoring his friend's question. «It's an honor to meet the great Stan Folklow from the Avery and Folklow duo. »

Pikachu looked at Ash with his eyes wide.

«Avery as in…» he began.

«Jonathan Avery? That guy is the poke-geneticist we're looking for? »

Stan Folklow certainly wasn't an impressive fellow. He was wearing geeks glass, had a dusty smock and an unshaved chin.

«No, no, Jonathan is the best. I was more of a sidekick to him than a real partner. »

«No, no, I talked to him recently and he said that your researches inspired him greatly for his owns. »

«Really? »

«Yes, he even wanted me to give something to you. »

«What is it? »

Genno looked at their surroundings. He lowered his voice, taking a tone of conspiracy.

«Do you mind if I show you… inside your house? »

Mr. Folklow raised an eyebrow, but made no comment. With a brief hand sign, he told them to follow him.

«Messy. », that was the first word that came to their collective minds. Even Ash thought that it was almost shameful and he was not too fond of cleaning his room. Every single room they caught a glance of were filled with notes, books and coffee cups.

He took a key and unlocked the door at the end of the corridor.

In contrast with the rest of the house, his office was almost normal. There was just one pile of paper lying around. He pointed at a few chairs in the corners and they took seats.

«Well, I can't say I'm not curious. What does my old friend want you to show me? »

Genno tried to hide his sadness.

«Actually, he didn't have the time to ask. He was in the middle of a great discovery when…»

«He got kidnapped. » Stan finished.

All three teenagers looked at him.

«The media didn't announce it, but the police contacted me, saying they discovered his place trashed. Both him and his son are missing. »

Ash clearly saw a hint of pain in Genno's eyes. Did Genno know about his missing status when he «locked» his DNA into his body? It would make sense.

«The police suspects Team Rocket. »

«What? Why? »

«Jonathan is not the only friend I kept in touch with. Helen Futchi called me a month ago. She told me she had been threatened by Team Rocket. She said they were looking for a poke-geneticist with knowledge about Ditto. They didn't found anything about it in her researches, but they took her address book. »

They stayed silent. Genno's head was spinning. What did this mean? Was his father taken by Team Blast or by Team Rocket? He was sure it was their uniforms, but it could have been a setup.

«So, I know this is a sad story, but the best thing to do is to let the police handle it. »

«I… suppose. »

«So, are you going to show me those notes or what? »

«Y… yeah. Here. » Genno said as he handed the researches.

As Stan began reading the notes of his old friend, Ash asked Genno:

«Hey, buddy, are you alright? »

Genno just looked at Ash sadly. He couldn't even tell him how enormous this thing was becoming. Were they in the middle of a conflict between two criminal organizations? What would happen to his father?

«This is incredible! » Stan shouted. «With data like this, we could reproduce the DNA of any pokemon. »

«Read further. » Genno said, concentrating on the present situation.

«… this is… »

«The tip of the iceberg. »

«… This formula… » he looked at Genno with disbelief.

«…could be used to turn humans into pokemon. » completed a now calm Genno.

«That's insane! What was Jonathan thinking? »

They were all startled by his indignation.

«And here that fool was kidnapped by criminals… who knows what they could do with knowledge like that. »

The three friends looked at each other. They had a pretty good idea of the possible applications, especially since two of them were former humans.

«We should destroy these notes. » said Stan .

«NO! » shouted both Genno and Ash, though in the latter's case, it sounded like «PIKA! ».

Mister Folklow was clearly startled.

«They already have it! This is only a copy I found in Mister Avery's vault! If we destroy these, we'll lose our only chance to create a counter to the morph substance. »

«They have it? Oh dear Mew… »

«Do you think you could create a counter? »

Stan noticed how eager they were to hear his answer. Could it be… ?

«Hum… I'm not sure. »

Their face all fell. The poke-geneticist was sure there was something they didn't know. The Pikachu with the hat sure seemed concerned about the notes a lot…

«I'd need a lot of time. These data are incredible, but I'd have to study them all thoroughly. They are ridiculously advance in a domain we had trouble understanding before. If you agree, I'd like to keep them to study. I'll call you as soon as I discover something. »

«Of course. » Genno replied with a strangely faint voice. He took a sheet of paper lying on the ground and wrote something on it. «Here's my cell number. Call me anytime. »

On this, they left. Ash and Genno were clearly depressed. They had hope for an answer to their problem, but it turned out much more complicated than they thought.

* * *

Stan Folklow was in awe. Jonathan really was a genius. All these information were precious to the domain of poke-genetics. They could revolutionize the field of study. There was a dozen of sheets just about the analysis of a ditto's transforming ability. It was fascinating. The mechanism of transformation was a lot more complicated than the popular belief.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a polite knock on the door.

Fairly annoyed, he stood up and went to open the door.

Immediately, he was charmed by the person in front of him.

«Hello, mister Folklow. » she cheerfully greeted him as she entered the house. «I'm looking for a few friends, three to be precise. »

«And who might a charming lady like you be? »

«I can't believe I didn't even introduce myself to you already! » she gasped in a theatrical manner. «My name is Janes. Nice to meet you. »


	8. Unexpected meeting

**Poke-genetics: unexpected meeting**

«Guys, cheer up a little! He said he had to examine the notes, not that it was impossible. »

Pikachu was still trying to cheer them up. They had been like that for an hour now. Deciding it was more than enough whimpering, he yelled:

«CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! »

The lightning bolt hit them instantly.

«Seriously, enough is enough, guy! » Pikachu declared to his charred friends. «He didn't say it was possible or impossible. He said he needed time, so you're going to give him and you won't spend it mopping! Both of you should have gotten over it fifty minutes ago. »

They both looked at him with moderate feelings. Reluctantly, they chose to try to be at least a little less depressed, but it wasn't that easy. Still, after a few more encouraging talks from Pikachu, they looked at life a little bit more cheerfully.

«Alright guys, what do you want to do? » questioned Genno.

They didn't have the chance to answer. A feminine voice interrupted them.

«Ash! What are you doing here? »

Ash and Pikachu looked apprehendly at the girl that had just shouted at them: Misty. Genno was confused and didn't know what to say.

«Oh, huh… hi… I'm just hanging around with «Who is she?».»

Ash stared at his friend. What did he just say? Did he ask her who she was mid-sentence? She would totally kill him now or at least use her mallet with a lot of power.

«Oh, that's nice. Brock is also here with me. »

Genno kept glancing at Ash and Pikachu with a look that was saying «Hurry up!».

«Oh… cool. »

Pikachu suddenly understood.

«He spoke like a pikachu! We understood him, but Misty must have just heard Pikachu! »

«Hey, what is it, Pikachu? You look nervous. » pointed out the water pokemon specialist.

«Nope, not nervous at all.» he forced himself to say with a smile.

«Genno, she's Misty, a good friend and the leader of the Cerulean Gym. I traveled with her for a while. She uses water pokemon and be careful not to make her mad. Also, never ever mention her bike! »

Genno just couldn't stop himself in time.

«Bike? »

The hit was powerful enough to make him dizzy.

«You still didn't do anything about it, Ash Ketchum, so don't you dare mention my bike! »

«Told you. » sighted Ash.

It was then that she noticed Ash.

«Hey, since when do you have two pikachus? »

Still under the effect of the hit, he couldn't think clearly.

«… I caught him a month ago… he's Pikachu's oldest friend. »

That last part was absolutely true.

«Brock didn't tell me that. He should have. He was with you a month ago. »

Ash couldn't smack Genno's head, it would have given it away, but the temptation was great. Genno himself felt like smashing his head on a wall, but it would also confirm Misty's suspicion.

«Misty, wait for me! Geez, what has gotten into you? »

Brock finally caught up with her.

«Hi, Ash. How was your vacation in Pallet town? »

« It was nice. »

Ash didn't lose time.

«He's the leader of the Gym of Pewter city. He's the cook I mentioned the other day and he's in love with every young woman he meets. »

Both Brock and Misty looked at the talkative pikachu.

«Brock. » she said as she looked at him in the eyes. « Is it true that Ash caught that second pikachu a month ago? »

Just as Brock was about to answer, Genno silently moved his lips. «If you say «Yes», I'll give you this! ».

Ash was so going to kill him later for that, but he had no choice. Genno took out a picture of Ash in Nurse Joy's arm, looking in despair at a mass of baby pokemon.

Brock eyes became hearts as soon as he saw Nurse Joy and Ash's shooted lightning.

«OF COURSE! » he yelled. «I WAS WITH HIM WHEN IT HAPPENED! »

His loud voice startled Misty.

«Okay, no need to yell like that. I was just wondering. »

She looked down at the furious pikachu. Something was bugging her.

«He looks… just like you when you changed into a pikachu! »

Genno laughed in a very unconvincing manner.

«Haha… yeah, I thought it was funny so I bought him the same hat. »

«I swear, if you weren't in front of me right now, I'd take this Pikachu with me and I' be off to find Lily, the pokewitch. »

Ash, Pikachu and Genno exchanged a look that meant a lot. Not noticing the silent exchange, Misty took a look at the collar Ash was wearing.

«Ashchu… you named him after yourself? » she said incredulously.

«I combined my name and «pikachu» for it. I thought it was funny… and he liked it. » tried telling Genno as he scratched his head.

«Liar! » yelled Ash.

«Well, as long as he doesn't mind… I suppose it's alright. »

«What are you two doing here? »

«I wanted to do a little bit of shopping here and Brock wanted to pay a visit to this town's Nurse Joy. »

Somehow, they had no trouble believing that last part.

«Hey, that's not the only reason I came here. »

«Well, what is it? » she asked maliciously.

«I… also wanted to see the Officer Jenny. »

They sweat dropped in unison.

«Okay… » Genno said. «Should we hang out? »

«Ash, since when is there a need to ask? Of course! » Misty replied.

* * *

They spent the day shopping with Misty, who was mysteriously enthusiastic about shopping with a bunch of boys.

«I needed to go to this place. Come on, guys. » she said.

Genno looked at the name of the shop: Girls comfort.

«But… it's a store for women's clothing. »

«Oh, don't be such a kid, Ash. » she sighted as she grabbed his arm.

Pikachu and Ash laughed a lot when she forced Genno and Brock (she did not have to insist hard to convince him) to follow her inside the shop. Genno was blushing furiously while Brock had more of a lecherous look in his eyes. There were a lot of beautiful ladies in the shop.

While Brock was being rejected, Misty had chosen a set of clothes and tried it on.

The result was… sexy.

«Wow…» muttered Genno and Ash simultaneously.

Her clothes were making a full use of her… assets. Underlining her delicate and graceful figure, her new shorts and shirts were just the «right» size.

Looking at their astonished face, she chuckled lightly.

«I guess those are perfect for me then. »

Both trainer and pokemon nodded slowly.

* * *

«Okay, we've got a five minutes hole on our schedule, let's grab something to eat. » Misty declared.

«Only… five minutes? » asked Brock, panting.

«I still have a lot of places I want to visit. »

All the boys fell to the ground. Pikachu and Ash were the most tired and they shouted an indignant «PIKA!». They were literally running from one place to the other and they were a lot smaller than their human friends.

«We've been running non-stop since that clothe store, can't we take a longer break? » pleaded Genno.

«Seriously, you've got no stamina… but it's alright. We'll take a break. »

They sighted in relief. Brock even whispered a grateful «Thank Mew ».

They all sit to the nearest table on almost fell on their seats. They welcomed the relaxing feeling.

«So, Ash, how was the Sinnoh League? » Misty asked nicely.

«Oh, huh… let's just say that… I don't really want to talk about it. » Genno excused himself and looked to the ground.

«…okay, I was just making conversation. »

She felt a little sad inside knowing that Ash wasn't comfortable with speaking of his losses with her.

* * *

The last place they went was the arcade, at Ash's request. It had been a long time since he got to play some good games, so Genno made the request on his behalf.

As soon as they got in, Ash jumped on the fighting games. He had always been a good player at that. Pikachu followed him out of curiosity and Genno did the same because Ash was so enthusiastic that he forgot an important detail.

Ash was in front of the screen about to press the start button.

«Forgetting something? » his friend inquired.

He turned and saw Genno handing him a couple of coins. Ash hid his embarrassment behind a grateful smile. «Hey, Genno, wanna play with me? »

«I'm not good at fighting games. »

«I won't try my hardest. »

«Alright, but just a few games. »

The game began and to their mutual surprise, Genno was winning.

Ash swore as he realized his problem: his arms were too short to reach all the buttons.

«Unfair! » Ash said as his character bit the dust.

Ash felt like sulking, but he got an idea before that.

«Pikachu, press the buttons on the left as I command. »

«Okay. » Pikachu agreed.

It was much better, even if Pikachu was a klutz when it came to video games.

On their third game, both teams were evenly matched.

After an impressive combo pulled off by the pokemon team, Ash finally got his well-earned victory.

«Is fighting the only thing you're interested in, guys? » Misty asked from behind them.

«What do you have in mind? » Genno asked.

«This. » she said as she pointed the DDR games.

«I'm warning you all, I'm horrible at this game. »

«Yeah, yeah, everybody says that, Ash. » Brock responded.

Genno and Misty were the ones on the stage. The level was set on «normal», despite his protest, saying he was not even good enough for «easy».

Misty had an amused smile.

«Just follow my lead, okay? » she said gently.

«O…kay… » he answered, reluctantly.

Genno swallowed loudly. Why did he listen to Ash? Oh, that's right. Because he gave him the puppy eyes.

The game showed a countdown. Three… two… one… DANCE!

As it turned out, Genno was a horrible dancer, but he was decent when it came to imitating. As a matter of fact, in the space of thirty seconds, their movements were synchronized.

The music went on, the dancers looked at each other in the eyes, they were sharing this moment together.

Offstage, Ash felt a curious pain in his chest.

When the music was finished, Genno jumped in joy.

«I dit it! That's my best score ever! »

Misty hugged him in excitement.

«That's great. I knew you could do it, Ash. »

They laughed together. This was definitely a great evening…

…Until he saw Ash.

He felt a knife stab him in the guts. «What am I doing? » he thought.

«Ready for another game, dancing champ? »

«Huh… actually, dance with Brock… I need to… use the bathroom. »

* * *

Genno felt sick. Alone in the bathroom, he was splashing water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror.

«What are you doing, huh Genno? Do you actually enjoy it, pretending to be someone else? Is it fun for you to steal someone's identity and use it in front of them? »

He remembered the smile on Misty's face.

«She was not looking at you! She was not even speaking to you! She thought you were Ash! She's not your friend, she's his! »

He was nauseous. This was so twisted. He was playing along, like it was the most natural thing in the world. This was not his body, not his friends, not his life. He was not Ash Ketchum, he was Genno Avery. What right did he have to take it away from his friend under his eyes?

He took his head between his hands and repeated:

«I was not stealing what's his, I was not stealing what's his, I was not stealing what's his… »

* * *

The hotel room was a bit small. There was barely enough place for them all, but it was still much more comfortable than the sleeping bags they had used during their first travel.

It was the middle of the night. Humans and pokemon alike were asleep, except for one. Misty was troubled. Today had been her nicest day in a long time. It was so nice to see Ash again.

As silently as possible, she got out of her bed and went on the balcony. The room was on the third floor. She let the light breeze of the night caress her skin. The lights of the city were a witness to her melancholy. She whispered to the quiet darkness.

«I'm so silly. One of the first things I did to Ash after months without seeing each other was to hit him for a stupid bike. I'm so stupid. »

That last part had been said louder than the rest and a certain someone woke up.

«Huh… the look on his face was so cute when I tried my new clothes. » she remembered smiling.

«Though I didn't think he'd have that big of an interest in genetics. »

Genno couldn't help himself when he saw a book about poke-genetics in the library. He had to be quickly smacked by Ash to realize that Brock and Misty were looking at him with puzzled looks.

The door of the balcony slid open.

«Misty? » inquired a sheepish voice.

«Oh, hi Ashchu. I guess I'm not the only one having trouble falling asleep. »

«Actually, I heard you talking… is everything okay? »

«Chhhh… don't speak so loudly, you might wake up the others. »

«You already did that to me. » he replied.

To make sure the pokemon wouldn't speak again, she bowed down and picked him up. Ash struggled to get free, but her grasp was firm enough. Feeling hot in the cold of the night, Ash was very uncomfortable. «I'm in her arm! She picked me in her arms… and she's keeping me tightly around her CHEST! » Ash's brain was on the verge of becoming an incoherent blump of flesh.

Oblivious to the pikachu's mental thoughts, Misty just continued her whispered confession.

«You have a great trainer, you know? I met him on his first day as a trainer and let me tell you, he was a lot dumber than today. »

«Thanks…»

«But don't let that fool you; he's the most loyal trainer and friend I've ever had. »

Ash became completely silent. He was touched. She paused for a moment, and then continued in a voice so full of sadness that Ash felt his heart tighten.

«We went through so much together, yet I didn't realize until he was away. I didn't realize until it became painful to be away from him. »

Ash saw that she was trying not to cry.

«Misty. I'm here. It's me. I'm Ash. » he begged her to understand.

«Ash… » she whispered, tears falling to the ground. «I'm sorry. I'm not even strong enough to tell you… that I… »

«Misty! I'm here! Please, realize it's me! »

«…that I love you. »

Ash felt his own tears fall to the ground. Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY?

Why did he have to be stuck in the body of a pokemon? Why was the girl he loved confessing to a pikachu while he had been next to her for so long ? Why did he have to be the pikachu she confided to? Why couldn't he console her? Why did this have to happen when he couldn't answer her? HE LOVED HER… and she didn't even know it was him.

Both lovers cried in each other's arms, crying for the same reason: being unable to confess their love to the one their heart had chosen.

Ash felt a new emotion rise inside of him. He was being overwhelmed by hatred. Whoever turned him into a pokemon would pay dearly. He promised.


	9. Bad morning

**Poke-genetics: bad morning**

Brock, Pikachu and Genno were very surprised when they saw that Ash and Misty weren't in the room.

The surprise went up a notch when they saw them sleeping in each other's arms on the balcony.

Gently, Brock and Pikachu woke them up.

Misty seemed really confused.

«What time is it? Oh, have I fallen asleep on the balcony? »

«Nobody moved you here. » replied Brock. «I'm pretty sure Ashchu is not strong enough to do that. »

She blushed slightly at the mention of the pokemon. Oh Mew, did she really confessed her feeling for Ash to his pikachu? What was she thinking?

Genno and Pikachu looked at Ash with mocking grins. He slept in the arm of a girl he liked. Pikachu winked at him, saying «Good job. ».

They didn't understand. It was the worst thing that could have happened. He just muttered a «Shut up. » under his breath and they both looked at him in shock. He left the room without saying anything else.

Moments later, they were eating in the hotel's dining room. Ash was eating slowly, chewing carefully and was the second to finish, Brock already being on his way to the pokemon center. Pikachu was worried. What could have happened to put him in this mood? Genno saw his two friends leave their seats and was about to follow them when Misty grabbed his arm.

«Would you mind… staying? »

Genno had a bad feeling about it.

* * *

Ash had climbed a tree. He was lying on a branch, surrounded by leaves. He was alone. He was thinking. What should he do? How would he ever tell his friends that he was in this pikachu's body? There was no way Misty would ever forgive him. What should he do?

«Ashhhhhh! Are you in there? » (I can't believe he climbed that tree fast enough for me to lose sight of him.)

Ash wondered if he should tell his pokemon. He was his best pal… and he was not proud of himself for this morning.

«Yeah… you can climb if you want. »

Pikachu didn't waste time and, in seconds, he was next to his friend and master.

«Ash. What has gotten into you? »

Ash looked down.

«I'm fed up with this. I can't stand being a Pikachu anymore. »

«Ash, you said that many times before. Why are you feeling like that now? »

«I… Misty… confessed her love for my human self to me yesterday night. »

Pikachu couldn't find anything to say. He put his paw on his best friend's shoulder.

Ash gasped and jumped. He turned to Pikachu in panic.

«Misty! Where is she? »

«She's … alone with Genno! »

They jumped down the tree and ran with all their might toward the hotel. That day was bad enough as it was, but it would truly be hell if the girl he loves confessed to his friend!

* * *

Genno was not feeling well. The girl next to him was staring at him over her breakfast. He was trying not to think about Ash. What could have made him that mad? Was it them… or her? Instinctively, he was trying to find an excuse to escape. He felt that if he stayed much longer, something bad was about to happened.

«Misty… look, it's been... marvelous to have this breakfast together, but… I really should go look for Pikachu and Ashchu. Ashchu… was not looking well this morning. »

Misty felt the guilt form a knot in her throat. She sobbed. Her weakness had caused this. She…

She had to tell him. Now!

«Ash. Please, stay here. »

«I…»

«Listen to me, Ash! »

Genno started breathing heavily. Was she about to say what he thought she was? «Please, don't tell me that. Don't give Ash a reason to kill me! » he thought.

«Ash, I've realized how I feel when we met again yesterday… Ash, I… I… I lo…»

«PIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! »

Ash and Pikachu erupted in the dining room. They jumped on their table and Ash was looking aggressively at Genno. Pikachu was next to him, unsure of his master's attitude.

Misty looked at the pokemon with round eyes.

«Ash, what's wrong with them? Ashchu looks so… angry. »

«I think I know. »

He turned toward Pikachu and gave him an order.

«Pikachuuuu…» he began with the tone of someone giving a warning.

Said pokemon suddenly straighten, Ash was still tensed.

«PIKACHU! »

Both his pokemon calmed down. Ash even looked ashamed.

«I'm sorry, Misty. But it looks like Ashchu doesn't thrust me completely! »

The girl was shocked by the anger in his voice. She stared at them as the boys got out of the hotel.

* * *

«I can't believe you'd threaten me like that! »

«I… »

«Do you have so little trust in me? »

«I…»

«What would you have done if I hadn't told you she DIDN'T confess? Attack me? »

«I DIDN'T INTEND TO! » shouted Ash.

«Then what? WHAT? »

«I… didn't want her to confess… »

Genno let himself fall on a bench. He took his head in his hands. He was having a serious headache.

«Ash. Do you believe me when I say that I don't want to become you? »

«Yes… »

«Then, there are two things that we can do. The first is to tell all your friends about your transformation and who I am. »

«We can't. » said Ash with a hint of sadness.

«Why not? »

«Because she already told me she loved me… »

«Holy Miltank! She told… the you right now…? »

«Why do you think I was so angry? »

«In that case, we have to make sure there's no chance for her to confess until you change back.»

«How do we do that? »

«By doing the same thing that both of you did to avoid it before: by going separate ways. »

When they returned to the hotel, she was in their room, looking at the things she had bought yesterday.

«Ash… I'm…»

«No, don't say it, Misty. » interrupted Genno. « I need to tell you something… »

She tried to hide the hope in her voice.

«What is it? »

«I… I have to get going. »

Ash tried not to scream that he was there when he saw Misty close her eyes in pain. She was losing him again.

«I need to do something. I can't ignore it, but… when I come back… I'll… be able to tell you... »

«Yeah… okay… I'll… wait… »

All three boys got out of the room without looking back. Genno and Pikachu pretended not to notice Ash's sorrow.

«Thanks Genno. I owe you one. »

«The only thing left to do in this place is to go check mister Folklow's place to see if he has found anything useful. After that, we'll go somewhere else. You're both okay with this? »

Both pikachus nodded.

When they arrived, they got a very unpleasant surprise. It was impossible to enter the house. Police officers were surrounding it and a yellow ribbon had been used to prevent access to what was now considered a scene of crime.

«What happened? » Genno asked to the first officer he met.

«Mister Stan Folklow disappeared yesterday. Didn't you see the news? »

«No… we didn't look at a television for more than a week…» he answered, clearly troubled.

They all thought about the same thing. They went away from the scene and went to the first electronic shop they saw. In the window, there was a bunch of televisions playing, each of them displaying the news.

«Looks like you were wrong, Pikachu. » declared Ash.

They could clearly see who was holding Stan Folklow hostage, a knife on his throat, while talking to the police:

«Janes… » they whispered together.

They could see the woman talking to Officer Jenny, which was pointing her weapon toward her.

«Oh my, Jenny… you're still being an officer after that? »

«Let that man go! »

«You're not very polite, are you? »

«I repeat: let him go! »

«And what will you do if I don't? Shoot us? »

Her malicious voice was like a poison entering Jenny's mind.

«…»

«It's quite easy, you know? Just shoot under his clavicle and I'll be the only one to die. »

«Shut up! What do you want? »

«Oh, nothing you can give me... willingly that is. I'm taking this man with me. »

«Stop! » she ordered.

«Do it!» Janes replied in a harsh tone. «Shoot us both down! We'll fade away like him. Wouldn't that be nice? You'd have another fond memory… »

Jenny was clearly trembling now. Her assistant and their pokemon didn't know what to do.

«Oops, I made a mistake. I'd said we'd both go down, but he'll be the only one. Can you tell if he is here? I have enough guts to do it again. And you, Jenny? Are you the same as that day? Are you able to shoot again? »

Jenny dropped her weapon and fell to her knees. In tears, she gave her order:

«Let her go… wherever she wants… »

Reluctantly, the officers lowered their weapons.

Janes smiled wickedly.

«Very good, Jenny. You're a better person than I am… even if that's not telling much. »

She threw a pokeball, which revealed an Alakazam.

«Alakazam, you know the deal. »

As her pokemon concentrated, she finally looked at the reporters behind the police. Her eyes directly met the camera and she added in an unbearably cheerful way:

«Thanks for the tip, boys! »

She winked, they blinked and she was gone, along with Stan Folklow.

Ash, Genno and Pikachu exchanged horrified look. She had talked to them. She had THANKED them. They were responsible for Stan's kidnapping.

«Genno… » Ash began.

«I know… We're responsible for this. »

«Well. » Pikachu started. «No use crying over spilled milk. You are used to being desperate, let's try something else. »

«Yeah,» answered Ash. «all we have to do is fix things. We're going to fight Team Blast. »


	10. Searching

**Poke-genetics: searching **

Someone he couldn't see had pushed him in the cell. He had fallen to the metallic ground and groaned in pain.

«Damn Team Blast… » muttered Stan Folklow.

«Oh, don't worry, as soon as you become cooperative, they stop doing that. » the other person in the cell declared.

«Jonathan? Is that you? »

«Of course it's me. I was taken by Team Blast, where else could I be? »

The sourness in his voice was unusual. Stan didn't make a big deal out of it. His friend had been on this place for a little bit more than three weeks.

«Don't worry Stan. If you just do what they tell you to do, the quality of your lifestyle increases drastically. »

«Jonathan… what have you done for Team Blast? »

He gave the impression of having given up all hope.

«I did what they told me to do. I continued my research on poke-genetics. »

«But… that's… »

«I finalized the Ditto solution, the Pikachu solution and its other forms, the Pidgeot solution and it's other forms, the Marill solution and its other forms, the Butterfree and its other forms, the…»

«THAT'S INSANE! Jonathan, don't you realized what they used those for? And, for that matters, how the heck did you manage to synthesize all those in three weeks when you had trouble to do one in a year? »

«Insane? Stan, my old friend, I'm not crazy at all. I'm doing this for science! »

Every fiber of Stan, including the part where he remembered his old friend during their years in university, screamed to him that his friend was lying. He was definitely not sane.

«Whew, that was quicker than I thought. » Pikachu said.

«It still looked plenty long to me. » Genno replied.

«Oh, don't complain so much. » Ash added.

«Ash, last time I checked, you were the one sleeping on my back while I FLEW ALL THE WAY FROM VIRIDIAN CITY TO HERE! » an angry Genno countered.

They thought they had been lucky when, after an hour of walk, they saw a pidgeot flying over the forest. Ash and Pikachu still thought it was good fortune, but Genno realized he didn't like flying all that much and that he still needed to make a big effort to get to the next city. So, while Ash and Pikachu were in a perfectly good shape, he was irritable and tired.

«Well, you two can do whatever you want, but I'm going to sleep right here, right now. »

«Wait, you can at least go to the pokemon center for that. » Pikachu remarked.

Genno stared at Pikachu for a minute and then said:

«Alright, we're going straight to the pokemon center then. »

He changed back to Ash's human form. Ash felt a little hint of pain inside him when he saw his friend turn into him again. What he would give to have the same form…

«LET'S GO! I'm not going to stand here waiting! »

«O…kay… » answered Ash, a little bit frightened by his friend violent reaction.

Unsurprisingly, when he arrived to the pokemon center, he immediately asked for a room with a bed and went to sleep.

Pikachu and Ash looked at each other.

«Well, that was a bit rude… »

«Ash, he flew for five hours straight while we decided to rest. »

«Five hours? Didn't he say it took four? »

«I think he got lost at some point. »

They both chuckled.

«My, you cute pikachus need something? » politely asked Nurse Joy.

«Hum… can we borrow your computer? »

«Oh, sorry, I didn't understand what you mean by that. Can you show me instead? »

«Figures…» Ash said, annoyed.

Pikachu just jumped behind her counter and pointed to the computer.

«You want to use the computer? »

«Sherlock Holmes, ladies and gentleman. » Ash said to an invisible audience.

«Ash, stop mocking her and come over here. »

«Fine, fine. »

«It's not to play, is it? » inquired the nurse.

Both pikachus shook their head negatively.

«Alright then. »

Ash took place in front of the screen and began typing. «Do… you… know… where… are… Team… Blast's… headquarters? »

Nurse Joy's smile faded.

«Oh, I'm sorry little pikachus, but I have no idea. You could try asking the town's people, but I doubt you'll receive good results. »

They sighted, but Ash still pressed the «print» button. He took the sheet but realized it was hard to walk with it in his hands.

«How am I going to walk around town with that? »

Pikachu raised his shoulder, showing he had no idea.

«Here, let me help you. » said Joy.

With her skillful hands, she folded the paper until it was small enough to fit in his paws. When she was done, she put it under Ash's collar.

«Here, is it uncomfortable? »

«Nope. » he said with a smile. «I can barely feel a thing. Let's go, Pikachu. »

* * *

They were walking around town. Their plan was to listen to rumors first. If they could hear so much as a hint about Team Blast location, they'd ask.

So far, their method was not giving impressive results. They had only caught the name that people were looking everywhere in suspicions and immediately changed the subject. It was as if the name was a taboo around here.

The one time he actually dared to take out his paper and showed it to people, they had run away.

«This is getting annoying. Why is everybody acting like Team Blast doesn't exist? Do they not want them taken down? »

«They're probably too afraid…»

«Then what are we going to do? If no one is willing to speak of them, how can we find them? »

Pikachu looked at Ash with amused eyes.

«You're not used to being a pokemon enough, Ash. »

«I don't intend to become one. »

«Ash, you'll have to be as efficient as possible if we have to take down Team Blast. »

«I know… I'll be strong enough… I promise. »

«As I was saying, you're not used enough to being a pokemon. We can ask any pokemon in this town and they won't have any problem answering. Nobody from Team Blast understands the pokemon language, so no fear for them. »

«Pikachu, you're a genius! »

«No, I'm just a pikachu who thinks like a pikachu. »

«By my criteria, you are one. »

«I'll take that as a compliment… I guess. »

They began running around, looking for any pokemon that could informed them.

«Sir, » Pikachu asked an old Persian lying in a courtyard, «do you know anything about Team Blast's location? »

The big cat looked at the two yellow mice. If he was not so old…

«Sorry young ones, but my master doesn't like to talk about them too much, so my knowledge toward that subject is quite limited. »

«Oh, sorry to have bothered you. »

They moved to the next courtyard occupied by a pokemon.

«Hey, you two! Don't come closer! It's my master's territory. » Shouted an adorable young houndour.

«Okay, we won't come closer, but can you answer a question, please? »

«Sure. »

The houndour, reassured that they weren't intruders, was wigging his tail.

«Can you tell us if you know anything about Team Blast? »

«They smell like pokeblocks! »

«Really? »

«Yes, I was taking a walk with my master when guys in red and black uniforms told us to return to our house. I could easily sniff pokeblocks in some of their pockets. »

«When did this happen? »

«Ten days ago. »

Ash and Pikachu exchanged looks of disbelief. Some of Team Blast members were here more than a week ago? What had they done to make sure the people of the town wouldn't want to speak?

«Do you remember anything else about their smell? »

«Hum… not really. There was my favorite treat in his pockets, so I wasn't focused… » the houndour looked down in shame. His ears were down and he had his tail between his legs.

«That's alright. » Pikachu assured.

«Yeah, you were a big help anyway. » added Ash.

The houndour barked in happiness. He had been useful. He looked at them joyfully as they went away.

«That was a cute houndour… Didn't think I'd say that someday. »

«Most dog pokemon are like that when they aren't fighting. » informed Pikachu.

«Anyway, he told us something quite strange: Team Blast's members smell of pokeblocks. »

«True, it's strange. They could simply be good trainers and have snacks for their pokemon, but somehow I doubt that. »

«That much was obvious. What could they be planning that requires pokeblocks? »

They stopped at the same time.

«They can only be used to feed pokemon… »

«They aren't planning to feed Team Rocket's pokemon, are they? » Ash said.

«They could, if they poisoned the pokeblocks… »

They felt a chill go down their spine. Ash felt like he lost all his appetite. He didn't feel like he could trust any pokeblock now.

«Let's… try to find something else… » he declared as he swallowed loudly.

«Yeah… »

* * *

Genno's dream was not exactly a nice one. He dreamed of rescuing his father from Team Blast's hands, discovering the cure to his and Ash's problem and was back in his lab. Since then, he had been happily doing some poke-genetics research under his father's tuition.

«Genno… I have something to tell you. » his father began.

«What is it, dad?»

«Actually, there was a problem with the cure you found. »

«What? Why didn't you tell me? »

«I didn't want to break your happiness. »

What was he saying?

He lifted of bottle containing green fluorescent liquid.

«These are the remains of that other kid. What was his name again? Ash Ketchup? »

«No! Ash? I didn't do that. I didn't do that! »

The world was spinning. Had he killed Ash? It wasn't real, was it?

He screamed in horror, his arms were becoming green. They were falling in chunk of green goo.

«Oh, it looks like you're falling apart too, son. »

«Dad, help me! »

«No, I can't do that. »

«Why? Help me, dad! » he begged as his legs began to melt.

«I couldn't take notes on such a fascinating process. » his father answered with a mad grin. «So, how does it feel? »

«It… it burns! » he felt fire running through his veins.

«It burns! » Genno repeated.

«Oh, that's probably the last stage. I hope my camera is working. »

«DAD, HELP ME! IT BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURNS! » he yelled in agony as his vision was filled with green.

«AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! »

Genno felled from his bed and hit his head.

«Aouch! »

He got up from bed and paused. What king of sick dream was that? He was shaking in fear and disgust. Was that his brain showing him what he refused to accept: that he would never be himself again and that if he tried, he'd killed himself? He was still under the lingering influence of his dream.

«Wake up! You're not going to melt! You're going to get your father and Stan back. They'll find a way, then both you and Ash will be your normal selves again. »

«Dreams are the door to what the mind refuses to accept. » a voice in his head maliciously echoed.

«I'm going to be a human again! I'M NOT GOING TO BE A DITTO MY WHOLE LIFE! »

He was panting, filled with anger. Genno punched the wall as strong as he could. Gladly welcoming the pain, proof he was alive, he whispered to himself.

«I'll change back! »

* * *

«Hum… do you want to try that pidgey next? » Pikachu asked.

Ash sighted. Their research was turning into their greatest failure yet. Of the few wild pokemon that heard of Team Blast and actually cared, not one had given a clear hint. «Beneath the leaves of a tree I heard them. » Oh that was so helpful! All they needed was to find the only tree in the world and «Tadaaaaa!», they'd be in Team Blast headquarters.

No, seriously, what were they going to do?

«Hey, pidgey! » he called without conviction.

The bird pokemon turned around to see who had talked to it.

«How may I help youuuu? »

«Pfff… I shouldn't even bother to ask. Well… would you happen to know about Team Blast hideout? »

«… I wouuuuuld. »

The pidgey was very surprise to see the two pokemon looked at him with awe-filled eyes.

«Please, tell us! »

«…I'm a little hungryyyyy… »

«What do you want? We'll give it to you! » assured Pikachu.

«A bowl of seeds certainly would be niiiiiiice. »

«Do you see any bowl around here? » Ash snapped.

«Ash! Stop it. Follow us, please. We'll take you to our trainer and he'll give you what you want. »

«If he tries to catch meeeeee… » began the pidgey in a surprisingly menacing voice.

«Don't worry; of all the trainers in the world, he's probably the one that has the least interest in catching pokemon. »

It wasn't even a joke.

Genno was looking through his things. He had a feeling he should do something important, but he couldn't put his finger on it. What was it? The impression was infuriating. He hated when it happened.

«Genno! We might have found something. »

It was Pikachu's voice. He turned around and came face to face with a pidgey.

«Wow! » he said as he fell backward.

«Helloooo… those two promised me a bowl of tasty seeds if I came with theeeeeem. »

Genno frowned at his friends. What was that about? Ash explained.

«He said he knows where Team Blast is hiding. »

Genno immediately turned toward the bird pokemon and asked very quickly:

«What kind of seeds do you prefer? How many bowls do you wants? »

«Oh… a human that hear… amusiiiing… my favourites are the oran berry seeeeeeeds. »

«Give me five minutes! »

They were watching the pidgey eat while cooing of happiness.

«My… that was most satisfyiiiiing. Very well, you kept your part of the deaaaaal, so shall I. »

They were literally hanging to its beak.

«A week ago, while I was meditating about my next dinneeeeer, something shocking happened.»

«What happened? » Ash asked.

«An impolite member of my species flew right into meeeeee! »

«What? » they said in confusion.

«What's more he did not even apologiiiiiiize like a civil pidgey, he babbled about incoherent thiiiiiings. »

«What kind of things? »

«He mentioned crazy traineeeeers, food with weird taste and a place full of humans of a certain Team Blaaaaast. »

«Where were you? »

«Over the forest… east of Cerulean city. »

«Thank you! » exclaimed Genno.

«If you're dooone, I'll take my leaaaave. »

None moved to stop it. In the space of a few wing beats, he had gotten out of the pokemon center.

«Guys, we've gotten precious information. We have a chance to get back at Team Blast. »

Pikachu answered with an approbating «Let's get them! », but Ash stayed silent.

He said that they were near Cerualean city. That meant that if they weren't fast enough, they might meet Misty. And he wasn't ready to speak to her now.

* * *

Misty was trying to get better. She said she'd wait and all, but even if she did, she still suffered. So, she was wandering in a night club, trying to find fun in the unending dances and songs. She might only be sixteen, but she needed it so much that she didn't care.

For a while, she managed to have fun. A few boys were flirting with her and, she was guilty to admit it, it felt good to have the attention of some boys. Ash was always so dense… «Oh no, I mustn't think about him… I… ». In a matter of seconds, her joy faded, the music was only loud noise and the guys were not even remotely attractive.

Pretending to be sick, she left them and sat at the bar. As she sat, she bumped in an older, good-looking, woman.

«I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to… »

«No, it's alright… I'm not really noticeable anyway. »

Misty gasped when she recognized the Officer Jenny.


	11. Girls' confidences

**Poke-genetics: girls' confidences**

Her hair was different from the usual police haircut she sported. They were freely falling on her shoulders, underlining her gracious features. She was wearing a sumptuous dress and was even wearing make-up. She was… surprising.

«O… officer Jenny? »

This was bad. She was underage and she had just bumped into a police officer in a night club!

«Don't… look so… panicked. I'm not… working…»

She had a strange look in her eyes, was she drunk?

«What are you doing here? » Misty asked.

«After that incident with the girl from Team Blast, I asked for a vacation which was immediately given to me. Tonight, my friend said I should try to have some fun, so she dressed me up, but all I could bring myself to do was order drinks. »

Her head was tilting to the side, just like she had trouble keeping her balance. When she fell on Misty, the poor teenage had to use all her strength not to be taken down.

«You… should… go to sleep. »

«You're right… barman, could you please give me my keys? »

The barman looked at her for less than a second before declaring:

«No, you're too drunk. Come back tomorrow morning. »

«I'm not… drunk… » she protested.

But she felled to the ground and decided to correct.

« Maybe a little… »

The old guy looked at Misty and asked:

«You're her friend? »

«Huh… kind of. »

«Then you should bring her back home. She could use a good night of sleep. »

Nodding, she put Jenny's arm on her shoulder and they left the club.

Both girl remained silent for a while, surrounded by the calm night. Misty was trying not to think about Ash, but she missed him so much it was painful.

«You should not keep it inside… » muttered a perceptive officer.

«Huh? What are you talking about? »

«It's obvious… your love… »

«You're too drunk. You're being silly. » she tried to shrug off.

«I was in love before…»

«Really? With whom? »

«A wonderful man called John. »

As she answered, she smiled and her beauty bloomed. She looked so filled with happiness that looking at her eased Misty's pain.

«We met at the police academy. I was at the top of my class while he… » she chuckled gently «wasn't the most successful... He had no talent in close-combat, had poor athletic abilities and wasn't the best growlithe trainer there was. Everyone was betting on how long he'd last before he'd give up. »

Misty listened attentively.

«But you know something marvelous? John always succeeded. No matter how bad the odds were, he never failed a test. At the academy, it was safer to bet on his success than his failures. I heard he managed to pay one of his classes like that. »

«That's clever of him. »

«Oh, he certainly was clever. I remember the first time we talked. He was training for his running test. Like always, his results were too poor for a police officer. It is shameful, but at the time, I mocked him. »

«What did he do? »

«He just smiled at me and said that if I found pleasure in looking at him fail, I would be quite sad the day of the test. I took it as bragging… »

She almost tripped on something and Misty had to support her even more.

«What do you think happened? »

«He succeeded? »

Jenny laughed brightly. Somehow, it was even more touching than her previous smile.

«He certainly succeeded. He finished first! »

Misty gasped.

«For real? »

«If you asked me at the time, I would have denied it. Now, I'm saying it was very real. Naturally, I was angry at myself for losing and at him for beating me. So, I went to see him again. This time, I didn't mock him. Instead, I defied him. »

«What did he say? »

«He refused. »

«What? »

«He said I was lacking something to compete with him. I couldn't believe my ears. I was supposed to be the best, coming from a family of great officers and «I» was lacking something. »

«That had to hurt…»

«My pride having been offended, I worked like crazy to beat him. I wanted to show him. At the next test… he was first again. »

«No way! »

«It made no sense to me either. But I kept trying. And every time, he beat me. »

«How was he doing?»

«Funny you ask, because that's exactly what I wanted to know. When I asked him, do you know what he answered? »

Misty had no answer herself. Jenny looked to the stars. Her voice almost failed her as she whispered.

«Beliefs. »

Jenny started to cry.

«He said that he believed that the world could be changed for the better, that by being a better person he'd help our world move forward. »

«That's… » Misty didn't know how to say it. She was touched by Jenny's story.

«That day, he looked so reliable. He seemed like he would move the world by himself. He was a naïve fool… and he was the most wonderful man I've ever met. I… love him… »

Jenny cried on her shoulder.

«Where is he now? »

What she said utterly shocked Misty.

«He's dead. I killed him. »

The young woman completely fell to the ground. She had stopped supporting her own body. She was crying helplessly to the ground.

«I… killed John…»

Misty felt her own tear fall.

«We were about to get married… a few days before the ceremony… that horrible woman… a professional burglar at the time… broke in Viridian City's bank. »

She took a deep breath.

«John and I were the ones leading the operation… »

She sobbed.

«She had taken hostages… we tried to negotiate… she wouldn't hear a thing… she was growing impatient… she threatened to kill all her hostages and flee. »

She stopped. Her voice was faint.

«John immediately proposed to switch place with the hostages… I… let him… Janes seemed amused… he told me that as soon as she got behind him as a shield I was to shoot through him, wounding him and killing her. »

Misty felt Jenny's grief grow. Her sadness affected Misty so much that she couldn't say anything.

«It went exactly as planned… she let the hostages go and took John in their place… I aimed under the clavicle… and… when it was time to pull the trigger… I… hesitated… I couldn't do it… She realized something was wrong and took a knife… »

«No… » gasped Misty.

«I finally pulled the trigger… the bullet flew straight toward them… we all realized how big of a mistake we were making when her pokemon got out of the shadows… »

Jenny's voice shattered and she broke down into tears again.

«The bullet… stopped in front of them… her kadabra was using psychic… she looked at the bullet with a vicious smile… asked her pokemon to paralyze John… and got away from John… making sure he was going to be mortally hit…»

«Everyone was frozen in horror… John could still talk… he said he loved me… and her kadabra stopped using psychic... »

Misty put her hands on her mouth. It was so sad. She was crying all the tears in her body.

«Janes… just looked at his body… and… said: «What a pity, he was my type.»… After that, she used her psychic pokemon to teleport. »

It was like a nail had been planted in her heart. Jenny yelled.

«SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH TELEPORT WHENEVER SHE WANTED! I KILLED JOHN! …I killed… John… »

«YOU DIDN'T ! » Misty yelled back. «YOU DIDN'T KILL JOHN! That… monster did it! »

«It's my fault! »

«IT ISN'T! You're not to blame for this! »

«… I'll quit being a police officer. »

«What? Are you crazy? »

«I have no beliefs… I'm useless… I killed rather than saved… I'm not fit to be a police officer. »

«Look at me! » Misty ordered.

Empty, Jenny looked at her in the eyes.

«You believed in John. Are you saying it's a lie? »

«NO ! I believe in him! »

«Then, you have beliefs. You believe in him, you believe in HIS beliefs. Take them upon you. Do what he didn't have the time to do! Change this world! Believe that there is hope for something better! Give this hope yourself! »

«I…» she stried to say, lights shining in her eyes.

«SAY IT! » insisted Misty.

«I will change… this world…»

«Better than that! »

«I will change this world…»

«BETTER!»

« I will change this world! I'll perpetuate John's belief! »

She stood up, proud and strong. In her eyes, there was a burning flame that would not be so easily extinguished.

«HELP! » yelled a croaking voice. «THIEF! »

They saw a man with a hood running toward them with a handbag. With a surprising ability for someone that drunk, she knocked him to the ground, forcing his neck to make contact with her arm. The hit made him fall on his back.

«Well…» the man smiled lecherously «… isn't that poor little Jenny? How about you break down like a good girl and let me go? »

The man had a very bad surprise.

Jenny put her high heels shoes on his chest and looked down on him.

«Too bad, you lost your chance for that. You should have come earlier. Right now, I feel like making this world better… and that includes sending jerks like you to jail. »

Misty smiled quietly. Jenny was back in the game, stronger than ever. And she felt like she was too.

Ash told her to wait for him to return. Fine, she'd do that. She would wait, but she didn't make any promise concerning was she was going to do while she was waiting. She'd find the right thing to do and she'd put all her effort in it. She'd try to be like Jenny. A woman fighting for what she believed in… and she believed in Ash.


	12. Infiltration

**Poke-genetics: infiltration**

Genno was nervous. On paper, things always sound easy. When it came to doing them yourself, it could prove itself… harder than assumed. That's what he was thinking. The bad news was: he was surrounded by men and women in red and black. The good news was: none looked at him. After all, he was one of them.

* * *

«I'm not sure if that's your best idea, Genno. » Ash pondered.

« I don't know either. » added Pikachu.

«Listen guys, this is the best way to get to know their headquarters better. This is just a preliminary measure, I'm just going to explore their hideout. It's not like I'll try to take them all on by myself. I'm not that stupid, guys. »

«What if you get caught? »

«I won't be. They would have no way to know I'm not a member; I'll be in the body of one. »

«If you act off, it won't matter what you look like. »

«It will, there's a good way to ensure that. »

«Not convinced. » declared Ash.

«Do you have any other plan that would let us evaluate the full strength of team Blast? »

The two pokemon stayed silent.

«In that case, just train. Ash, you have not fought anything for a while now. So, just practice moves away from our camp. Remember not to use any electric attack. That would be a good signal for Team Blast to follow.»

He sounded confident, but none of his friends' worry seemed to disappear.

Genno didn't like the fact that he secretly agreed with them.

* * *

«So far, so good. » he thought. He had copied one of the many members going out of the hideout. It was a pretty big group and the vehicle they used to get away looked like it hid something. It made his infiltration all the more urgent.

«Stop being so nervous! You're making yourself look more suspicious. » he had to tell himself as he entered. The door only opened on an elevator going in the ground and it needed a fingerprint to be used. Genno had to keep himself form smiling. «Looks like this mission was made for me, after all. »

He also felt like frowning. Team Blast was cautious. This was NOT good. They already had a reputation of being dangerous, he didn't need a confirmation. He almost ran in panic when he heard:

«What are you doing here? »

At the exit of the elevator, there was a guard.

«Why are you asking? » he countered as he tried to sound normal.

«You left for operation P two minutes ago. »

«There was a mistake in the list. I'm supposed to leave on the next truck. »

«Really? That's weird… »

«I'll get going then. » he had fooled the guard rather easily. To his defense, the probability that a ditto would try to infiltrate the place was slim.

The inside was sober, no apocalyptic design, just a practical metal corridor to the first few rooms. The first two led to even smaller corridors leading nowhere. He supposed that meant he needed a higher ID to get beyond those places… or that he was being watched and had not been granted access. He hoped his first guess was the right one!

He walked away, looking for the tiniest of details that could later make a difference.

He heard voices from his left and his right. There was a metallic corridor on each of his sides. He could hear laughs, implying those rooms were most likely a place to relax. He had no use for that right now.

He continued exploring the underground building. He turned around a corner and arrived in the middle of what seemed to be a cafeteria. The hall was so big voices echoed in there. Many members were currently eating, taking a criminally-earned break from their irregularly scheduled… activities.

He walked near the walls, trying to be as quiet as possible. If by any chance they determined he was not a member, he would not stand a chance.

Then it happened. He was wondering about another corridor that looked more important and had gotten too close to it for his own good. A higher graded member shouted at him.

«Hey, you! What do you think you're doing wandering in front of the cells? »

He was glad he was wearing a mask like a few other members that preferred being anonymous.

«Oh, my deepest apologies. »

The severe looking woman came closer. She seemed suspicious.

«Take off your mask. » she ordered.

Genno did as he was told and revealed the feminine features he had borrowed. Gosh, this was embarrassing enough as it was. He knew there was no way anybody could ever say that he voluntarily turned into a (good-looking and black haired) girl, but a silly part of his mind keep telling himself that someone would see through this appearance. It also felt totally freaky not to have…

It was better not to think about it.

«What are your name and your member number? »

He tried not to show his joy. He didn't choose that body because he felt like having a sex change; she was the only one he heard the name being pronounced. Plus, the number was on the clothes tag. He memorized it before entering and was mentally applauding his intelligence now.

«Elizabeth, 14728. »

«What is your daily assignment? »

«I was scheduled to work on operation P, but I was told to return to the headquarters. »

«Why? »

«There were too much people on the operation. The man in charge ordered me to return and wait for another assignment. »

The black haired woman judged the sincerity of Genno's statement. She looked at a sheet of paper on the wall. There really was an Elizabeth assigned for the operation P and the list had trouble fitting on one page… it could be true. She raised her voice.

«Can anyone in this room vouch for this girl? »

More than an hundred pair of eyes turned toward Genno. Oh Mew, there was no way his lies were going to be accepted.

«I can! She's my roommate. »

«And who might you be? »

«Sarah, 14328. »

The woman judged her, then she sighted.

«Very well, you may return to your seat, Sarah. Elizabeth, since you are currently without assignment, you'll come with me to lead the scientists to the lab. »

He tried not to open his eyes wide.

«Take this key and follow me. » she ordered as she gave Genno a particularly small key.

The captain entered the previously forbidden corridor and turned around a corner. Genno followed her with his heart beating stronger than ever.

He gasped as they turned a corner. He saw something he didn't think he'd see anywhere other than science-fiction: lasers, lots of lasers.

The veteran inserted one of the keys into a hole in the walls and they disappeared.

After a thirty seconds walk, they entered another room. This one clearly reeked of despair.

To Genno's horror, there were more than a dozen of cells. Each occupied by at least two persons. The woman stopped in front of the three cells she was interested in.

Genno's heart missed a beat. He had his father under his eyes!

* * *

Janes's Alakazam was sulking. It was tired of teleporting for things he considered meaningless. However, it wasn't stupid enough to ever complain to his mistress. She was not the kind of trainer to tolerate her pokemon's complaints. She was more of the physical punishment kind.

Janes was not exactly in her best mood either. Her boss told her to fetch the forgotten notes in Avery's lab.

«Seriously, these science freaks are playing with our nerves. As soon as one realized he doesn't have every single piece of paper he wrote something on, all of them claim they needs their VITAL piece of work, though in this case, it will probably be. »

Alakazam moved the door with psychic and they entered the house. She remembered the time they «broke » into the house… and the house was different from now. Someone had cleaned up. Did the young Avery come back to his house? He ran away as soon as she threw the test tube at him. He was probably in the wild now, trying to adapt to the wildlife, fearing trainers more than a genuine wild pokemon.

She laughed at the thought. She definitely had to go in these woods someday and find him. He would make a most… enjoyable prey.

Janes walked upstairs and got to the lab. She then entered both passwords (it was her boss' idea to add a second, a sadistic idea like the one she loved). The first password disabled the ordinary security system; the second disabled the… secret one.

She was surprised when the screen turned yellow. It stood for double password. In other word, she disabled something that was already disabled.

Her smile turned into a mad grin. That could only mean one thing: the DNA solution had been used up! Someone got turned into a pikachu!

And now that she was thinking about it, she had a strong hunch of who it could be…

* * *

Genno was frozen. His father was there, right in front of him. He could reach him! He had the key to the cell… he could free his father right now.

«Elizabeth! Open the cell containing Mister Avery and Mister Folklow. I'll take care of the other two. »

Genno had to force himself to move. With tense movements, he unlocked the door and let the two men out. If he got closer to his father, he could whisper to him…

«Mister Avery, your cooperation allows you to eat in the cafeteria with the other members, you have fifteen minutes to do so. »

Genno's surprise went up a notch. His father was cooperative? It was Team Blast they were talking about!

«Very well, I'll make good use of that time. »

He looked neutral about it. He left the room alone, without any guard following him. Genno had to assimilate the information fast; the captain gave him another order.

«Elizabeth, you'll be the last one in the line, right behind mister Folklow. »

He nodded and they began to move.

Genno's brain was working at an hundred miles per hour. He had to think of something! He knew he was not supposed to, but he had met his father and the other poke-geneticists. There had to be some way to help them without blowing his cover. «Think Genno, think! » They were in the middle of the cafeteria and he felt Stan tensed up as they passed near his father, who was eating peacefully.

That gave him an idea!

He moved closer and leaned on mister Folklow's shoulder. The poor scientist almost jumped when he felt Genno's breath on his neck.

«Mister Folklow, don't react, don't answer. » he whispered as faintly as possible.

The man continued walking as if he had not heard a thing. Genno even doubted for a moment that he had been heard. «Mew, I hope it'll work. » he thought. As he explained his plan, Stan's body language tensed a little. Good, he was listening.

Genno finished just in time, as they got to the elevator. In the small room, there would be no way to explain without being caught.

It was a good thing that he was not claustrophobic, because at eight in a small elevator like this one, he'd have snapped.

The door opened on an enormous lab. Team Blast already had its own scientists. They just wanted a few more… in a field of study that was not considered that important before.

Genno took a good look at the place. « This is bad! This place is an ideal lab. It has everything! »

The scientists all went to the same desk… on which there was glass box containing a ditto!

Genno felt his breakfast moving up in his throat. Ash had wondered what would happen to him if he was unlucky, well, if he was really unlucky, this!

He tried not to throw up thinking how his fellow pokemon was feeling. It was clearly sick and was eying every person in the room, hoping one would free it. How could his father even think of cooperating with this! There was definitely something wrong with his dad lately.

Stan Folklow's anger was rising as he approached the box. How could anyone treat a living sentient creature like that? He had a feeling it would be easy to be convincing.

George Greenwood, the head of Team Blast research team, welcomed them with open arms. As always, he was unbearably cynical.

Good, this was going to be a piece of cake.

He used his movement as a momentum and punched the horrible scientist in the face.

All Team Blast's members in the room ran toward the two fighters… except for Genno. He rushed to the elevator and pressed the downward button. As the door closed, he stared at the one person he needed to and changed.

When the elevator reached the third floor, the captain got out of it. «Mew, I hope turning into girls won't become a habit! »

It was his plan. Stan was to cause a ruckus, which would mobilize every capable member in the room. He would then be able to escape without being seen… with the key.

He switched bodies since he was sure that Elizabeth was not high graded enough to go to the most important places and since the original captain was occupied… it wouldn't be too risky.

His hunch was right. The computer room was on the lowest level. A few members were working on the giant computers operating the headquarters, its branches, the lab's data and the missions. When he entered the room, a member rose up from his seat and bowed.

«Captain Seriza, what are your orders? »

Turning into that woman had definitely been a good idea… except for the whole «feminine body» concept.

«I want you to give me a detailed report of operation P and of our next operation. »

«Immediately captain. »

Genno looked at the unknown man as he worked on the sophisticated machine. He was fairly young, somewhere in his mid-twenties… he wondered what made him join an organization as evil as Team Blast.

«The printed version? » the man asked.

«Yes. »

He clicked in the corner of the screen and the machine spit a few sheets of paper.

Genno tried not to shake as he took the sheets. This was it! He had the information he needed. He had to get out of here now before things got dangerous.

«Good work, now return to your occupation. »

«Thank you, captain. »

He had to stop himself from running. Each step made it harder to restrain. He walked through the base as in a dream. He didn't even remember going in the dining hall that he was in front of his father's cell.

Under the eyes of a bunch of confused prisoner and an inattentive guard (he could not say a thing to a captain), he dropped it in the corner of the cell. He only hoped Stan would find it before anyone else. He promptly got back in the corridor between this room and the dining hall and, as the guard looked somewhere else, he turned into him. «Ah, it's good to be back in a boy's body. »

Jokes aside, he had to do it. He was not sure how long mister Folklow could keep her busy. Judging from the muscles of her body, probably not long.

He tried to walk as calmly as possible as he got closer to the exit. His heart was beating too fast for its own good. «Calm down. » he ordered his mad organ.

The guard looked at his fellow member with surprise. Usually, being the entrance's watchman was a quiet job.

«Where are you going? »

«I was chosen as a replacement for the girl that was on the wrong mission. » he answered without thinking.

The guard's eyebrows rose. What were they doing in the computer room? They were messing up a lot lately. Still, he had no reason to stop that guy from going out.

Genno entered the elevator like a robot. «Just a few more seconds. » he whispered. He felt that unsettling feeling in his guts as the elevator moved toward the open.

When the door opened and he was alone, he started running. He couldn't believe it, he had done it! He successfully broke through Team Blast's headquarters and got out safely. It had to be a world premiere. Though in all honesty, Team Blast didn't exist for that long.

Genno morphed into Ash as he reached their camp. The use of the word «camp» was generous. It was only a green tent they shared and a portable cooking set. No camp fire allowed. They were too close to Team Blast to dare.

The place was deserted. His friends were apparently still training somewhere in the middle of the forest. He sat down, his legs finally giving up under the pressure of stress.

It wasn't the best moment to rest. He had to examine Team Blast's plan.

As he read the sheets, he felt a chill run down his spine. This was madness!

And it would work!

Genno thought about the pokemon used as test subjects in the lab, especially the ditto and he finally lost it. He threw up.


	13. Outsmarted

**Poke-genetics: Outsmarted**

Ash was getting better. He finally got used to relying on other senses than his eyesight. It felt particularly weird to move in the middle of the woods with his eyes closed, but Pikachu didn't give him a choice. Besides, it was an interesting experience.

An hour ago, Pikachu ordered him to walk them through the forest without running into troubles. Ash was unsure of what he meant until he smelled rattatas. Proudly, he made a large detour to make sure not to enter their territory and Pikachu smiled. He also had to use his hearing to detect the faint buzzing noise indicating the presence of beedrills and they were both extremely careful not to touch anything in that part of the forest. The mankeys were harder to detect and he had to concentrate hard to recognize the scent. They almost ran into trouble, but Ash managed to choose the right way at the last minute.

They were on their way back to their «camp» as Genno liked to call it. The pikachus were afraid to come back. They were not sure due to the unknown size of the hideout, but Genno said he'd tried to be back before two hours.

They both exclaimed «Genno! » in joy when they saw their friend. Their joy didn't last.

Genno was livid. He was reading something on a few pieces of paper.

«How did it go? » Ash asked.

«… The infiltration in itself was a complete success. I have a pretty good idea of what their main base looks like and I don't think they realized I infiltrated yet. »

«Then, why are you looking as pale as a ghost pokemon? »

«I just understood what their next action will be. »

* * *

«So, does anyone here actually understand what happened today? » asked an authoritative man.

They were trembling, both of them: Captain Seriza and the guard of the entrance.

They had made a terrible mistake. They let an intruder in and gave him something they shouldn't have: information.

«We… do. » declared a bowing captain Seriza.

«Then… explain. »

«We failed to notice the presence of an unusual member and let him walk around in the base. »

«Do you know what the punishment for this is? »

They replied negatively.

«Nothing. » he said casually.

They all stared at their boss.

«Since there was no way for you to know it was an intruder, it would be unfair to punish you. She had the uniform, a member number, someone ready to vouch for her in this very place and apparently the ability to disappear out of thin air. »

He looked at them with leniency.

«I only expect one thing from you: that you improve enough for this to never happen again. »

The gratitude in their eyes told everything.

«You may take your leave. »

«We won't fail you again, sir. »

«Good. » the man smiled.

After they left his office, Janes asked.

«You're not even going to punish them? How very… humane of you. »

«They made a mistake, but not a punishable mistake. Neither you nor I would have been able to detect that intruder either with such odds against us. By being lenient enough, I reinforce their loyalty toward me. Ruling my team with fear is not even remotely interesting, not to mention risky. »

«You're no fun when you're like that. » she said as she leaned on him, one hand reaching for his chest.

«Janes. »

It was an order.

The woman gulped and got away from Team Blast's boss.

«You should know by now. Only one woman in the world will ever have the right to do what you just did. »

The look in his eyes was very different from seconds ago. Where there was a fatherly leniency there was only ferocity now. Janes knew better than to provoke him right now. She kneed and asked to be forgiven.

* * *

« That's horrible! » gasped Pikachu.

«We have to do something now! » added Ash.

«The only thing we could do right now is to try to limit the damages. »

«What? They already started this… plan? »

«Oh yes, we arrived just a bit too late. I infiltrated when their third truck went away. There are chances that they already started in some places. »

«What are we waiting for? We have to tell as many people as possible! »

«How? » countered Pikachu. «We're an hour away from Cerulean City! »

«My cellphone! » exclaimed Genno.

He literally jumped in the tent and searched frantically for it.

«This is so not the time to not find it! Guys, help me find my cellphone! »

The two pokemon rushed in the tent and searched as much, if not more, frantically as Genno.

«Found it! » said Pikachu.

Genno had to stop himself from shaking. He dialed the number of Cerulean City's police station. He begged them to answer.

* * *

«Sir, we've picked up the signal of a transmission device in the area. » Reported one of Team Blast's member.

«Where are they calling?»

«The police station in Cerulean City. »

«Do not let it reach its destination. » ordered Team Blast's boss. «Send a capture squad to the location of the signal and Janes…»

«Which one? »

«Counter-measure 2. »

«Alakazam, come out. »

Her psychic pokemon appeared at her side.

«Take number 32643 with you. He'll be the one to act. »

«Right away. »

* * *

Genno shouted when someone on the other side of the line answered.

«Quick! This is an emergency! Team Blast is preparing something and it's heading to four different … »

«Why did you stop? There's no time! » exclaimed Ash.

«My… cellphone… it stopped working. It's like there's something jamming the signal… »

«Then , let's go! We can't afford to lose even one minute. »

«Guys, pray Mew with all your might that I'll see a Pidgeot again. »

They didn't answer, they were saving their breath as they began running as fast as they could toward Cerulean City.

* * *

Cerulean City's Officer Jenny was typing on a computer her report for the mayor when a teen less than 18 years old busted in the station.

«Officer! It's an emergency! Team Blast is planning something big! »

«What? » she exclaimed as she stood up from her chair.

«I tried to phone you but it didn't work. They're planning a simultaneous assault on four cities in the whole region. »

«What kind of assault? »

«A massive one! »

«When are they going to strike? »

«It was supposed to be tonight! In two hours, three at most! »

« How did you get that information? »

«I sneaked up in Team Blast's hideout and hacked in their computers. Here, that's a copy of what I stole from them. »

He handed the papers.

«How did you… No, right now, that's not important! Which cities are they targeting? »

«Pewter City, Celadon City, Vermillion City and Pallet Town. »

«Ok, I'm calling the mayor to receive authorization for level five alerts on the entire city and for backup requests. Jason, call Pewter City. Dean, you're in charge of Celadon city. Matt and Andrew, you know the drill. Everyone else, get ready to get dispatch to one of those place. »

«Thank you, officer. You don't know how many lives you just saved from Team Blast. »

«Mister the mayor, I've received urgent news about one of Team Blast's plan. It involves attacks on many cities and I request authorization for immediate assistance to be sent… »

«… thank you, mister the mayor. »

«Jenny, Pewter City requests our back-up. »

«And we're going to answer their call. Dean, Matt, Andrew, did the other towns received your calls? »

The three officers nodded.

«Okay, everyone, get to your assigned cars, we're going to Pewter City! »

In the space of five minutes, the station was empty. In the streets, polices cars were already on their way to Pewter City.

* * *

«We're almost there! » he said between his teeth.

«Just an hundred meter left. » Ash added.

« You… should really… work out… more, Ash! You're not… in a great shape… you know? »

«I'll do that when I'll be human. For now, just continue to run. »

Genno pushed the doors of the police station and burst in.

«Officer Jenny! This is an emergency! Team Blast is planning to… » he shouted.

All three of them stopped. «It can't be…» Ash despaired.

There was not a soul in the police station.

Where were the officers?

* * *

Barry was just doing is job, watching over the factory during the night. He was thinking about his girlfriend, who was probably sleeping right now. He wished he could just finish early today.

He shouldn't have.

He heard a muffled voice.

«Who's there? » he asked while he pointed his flashlight in its direction.

« Use Hypnosis. »

Two giant glowing eyes appeared out of thin air and glared at him. He didn't have the time to shout that he was already falling asleep on the ground.

«No other sign of human activity. Factory clear, operation continues. »

Human shadows invaded the place.

* * *

Officer Jenny was watching as the police forces took position around the town. They were as stationed at every corner of Pewter City. All of them were fit trainers and were ready to fight. They'd protect the citizen of the town. It was their duty, it was what they chose to do. They were ready.

* * *

«Ash. This is even worse than we thought! No one's answering NO MATTER WHICH POLICE STATION I CALL! It's like they're all… away… »

«What are we going to do? We're days of walk away from the closest place they'll attack. Even if we could fly like last time, it'd take us hours… »

«I… don't know… » Genno said as he slid from the counter to the ground. «It's hopeless. We are too late… »

For once, neither Pikachu nor Ash had anything to say to make him feel better. They were not in the most optimistic mood either.

«My cell phone is dead… we can't contact any police station in the whole region… we're too far to get to any place they could use our help… What can we do? »

Lightning cracked the sky as if it answered his question and the rain was an echo to his tears.

They had failed… they waited.

* * *

They were not the only ones. Officer Jenny was losing patience. The time of the presumed attack was far gone. Team Blast had not showed up. Either they had been impressed by the strength of the troops the police deployed… or it was all a prank. She felt anger burn inside of her. If it was the case, she had declared a level five alert for nothing. The mayor of Cerulean City would be so mad at her. He had followed her judgment and this massive coordination of events had better not be all based on nothing or she'd suffered the consequences.

The night went on. The policemen and women stayed in position with the exception of the occasional street patrollers.

The darkness of the night faded and let the morning light takes it rightful place without a single incident.

She made a few phone calls. In all of the cities that forces had been mobilized, things had been just as uneventful as here. Officer Jenny was overwhelmed by anger. It had been a prank after all! They had waited under this rain for nothing! In fury, she gave the order to her men to return to Cerulean City.

* * *

Ash was the first to wake up. He had heard the sound of the door of the police station being opened.

«Officer Jenny! » he yelled.

Both his friends woke up instantly.

«What are you three doing here? » she asked rudely, her anger having not been subdued yet.

«Thank Mew, you're back! Listen, there is an emergency. Team Blast is…»

«What did you just say? »

Genno was troubled by her question.

«I said that Team Blast is planning something big… »

«What proof do you have?» she continued to interrogate him roughly.

«I have a plan that I stole from their headquarters. »

She was infuriated again. Was he the partner of that kid who made fun of her? She was not going to let this go unpunished!

«You, sir, are under arrest for pranking police officers. »

«WHAT? Didn't you hear what I said? Team Blast is going to… »

«I heard what you said perfectly! » she shouted.

She handcuffed him and ordered to one of her men:

«Put him in a cell for a day. That'll teach him to do stupid jokes and his little friend will think twice before doing it again. »

Had she slapped them she would not have shocked them more. Without a word, they followed the officer into the next room.

* * *

«This is insane. » repeated Ash.

Genno and Pikachu stayed silent. Pikachu didn't know how things could get worse and Genno…

Genno was so furious they were actually happy he was not talking. Pikachu remembered the time Ash jumped between Genno and Misty.

Right now, he wondered which of the two's anger was the worst.

They all recovered from the shock pretty fast. Ash kept walking in circles like a caged Arcanine, Pikachu was trying to cheer **himself** up for a change and Genno just got lost in thoughts.

After the first ten minutes, they noticed how furious he had gotten.

«That's it! She'll hear everything I have to say! » he took a deep breath…

«OFFICER JENNY! »

Both pikachus covered their ears. What was he doing? Was he mad?

A policeman entered the room and ran to their cells.

«If you keep throwing a tantrum, we'll have to keep you longer! » he threatened.

«Bring Officer Jenny here! »

They were all surprised by the authority in his voice.

«She's occupied… »

«Then tell her she has something more important to do! Tell her to come here! »

The man hesitated. Finally after a minute of a glaring contest with Genno, he just ran to the next door.

«Are you crazy! » Ash said. «What do you intend to do? »

«Tell her to put her ego where it should belong and do her job! »

«What! » he hissed, having lost most of his air in surprise.

Officer Jenny entered the room and she was clearly not happy of being forced here.

«What do you want? » she asked rudely.

«I want to ask you if you're a police officer. »

She turned red in fury. That kid was still trying to play with her!

«YOU ARE STAYING IN THAT CELL AND THAT'S FINAL! AND IF I HERE YOU AGAIN, YOU'LL GET A CRIMINAL RECORD! »

Her cry didn't even impress Genno. In fact, he yelled much louder.

«I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU ARE A POLICE OFFICER OR A STUCK-UP WOMAN WHO'LL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF TEAM BLAST'S SCHEMES! »

She turned white with indignation.

«Listen, kid. Screaming does not make you more impressive. A teenager your age told us exactly the same thing yesterday night and absolutely nothing happened. Let me tell you something that you'd be well advised to tell your little prankster friend. Fake alarms are not funny, especially for the ones that had to travel full speed to get to a place that was never supposed to be attack anyway. »

Genno's eyes got wide in surprise and something extremely disturbing happened.

Genno began to laugh.

It was a lifeless laugh, completely void of anything even resembling joy.

«That's some trouble you went through officer… tell me this then: is it funny to break into Team freaking Blast's headquarters by yourself? Is it funny to put your safety at risk to infiltrate a lair of criminals? Is it funny to see pokemon being tortured in the name of science? Is it funny to see family members held prisoner and having no other choice than to let them suffer a little longer so you can save them in the long run? Is it funny to do all that so that the first person you tell PUT YOU IN JAIL INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO YOU? »

They were stunned.

«TELL ME! Are you proud of yourself? Instead of limiting the damages to the maximum, you chose to put us in this cell and forget we've ever talked to you. To me, police officers were always the good guys that you could count on to help you, not petty persons that refuse to act when it is the most important. Tell me, Jenny, are you a police officer or are you not? TELL ME!»

Ash couldn't blame Jenny for not answering to Genno's question.

He added in a low, dark, threatening tone that sounded like a death sentence:

«Are you going to let Team Blast put on the market thousands of coma-inducing pokeblocks! »


	14. Threat

**Poke-genetics: threat**

«Rattata, it's time for your meal. » cheerfully announced a kid.

The rat pokemon happily replied to his master who petted him tenderly.

«It's a new flavor. They were giving free samples of it in front of the grocery. If you like it, I'll buy you more, okay? »

The rattata ate his meal with good appetite.

«Hum… » it thought. «This is certainly new… it's good… »

The kid was sitting next to him waiting for his pokemon's opinion.

«So, is it good? »

The rat licked its lips. It then happily nodded.

«Great, I'll ask mom to buy more of these. »

«Ratta… ta…»

«Rattata? » wondered the kid. «Are you alright? »

The poor pokemon couldn't answer. He fell on the ground without a noise.

«Rattata! »

He took its pokemon and yelled:

«Dad! Mom! Rattata fainted! »

«What? Take him to the car. We're going to the pokemon center! »

Unbeknown to them was the fact that hundreds of families and trainer reacted the same way this morning.

* * *

In the station, Jenny, her subordinates and Genno were making as many phone calls as possible. They were calling the police station of four different cities: Viridian City, Lavender Town, Fuchsia City and Saffron City.

«No, this is not a prank. Yesterday was only a decoy. Stop the pokeblock factories from selling their products without them being put under a scientific analysis. Stop anyone giving pokeblocks on the streets. Don't feed your pokemon with untested products either. This is not a joke. The pokeblocks were poisoned by Team Blast yesterday night while you were away. »

At first, some of the people they talked to were skeptical.

Then, they received reports from the pokemon centers. Around two thousands pokemon from all over the region had collapsed after eating pokeblocks. Suddenly, it didn't sound as funny as five minutes ago.

The four cities where Team Blast had introduced the poison were in a state of complete panic. Half of the police forces were paralyzed as most police officer had to feed them pokeblocks from a restraint choice of companies, regulation was the excuse given.

«We called everyone that could have been touched by the attack. We sent warnings to the towns that are so far untouched. Now, what can we do to stop Team Blast's plan? » Officer Jenny asked.

«… I'm not sure… » Genno hesitated. «We do know what they originally planned to do, but… »

«But …? » wondered practically everyone.

«But we can't rely on these information if there's a possibility that Team Blast know we have them. » completed Jenny.

«Why not? » Ash inquired.

Genno tried to sound like he was thinking out loud.

«If they know we know their plan, then they could use that to their advantage. For example, by acting at the exact opposite of what they wrote on these sheets. »

«Exactly. » confirmed the Officer. «The problem is that we can't ignore these information either, just in case they try to carry out the original plan regardless. »

«So, we're screwed either way? » Ash despaired.

«Hum… we are stuck in a bad position, aren't we? »

«You said it, kiddo. » Matt affirmed. «But it's not as hopeless as it could be. If we act to cover all the ground, then it won't matter where they planned to strike. We'll be there any way. »

«We could do that? » asked a now enthusiastic Ash.

«Easy now, Matt. » Andrew replied. «We'd need a higher number of officers for this plan to work. Even if half the pokemon working for the police weren't now in a coma, we'd still be tight on numbers. »

«Oh… » Ash whispered as he lost a lot of his enthusiasm.

«There's another problem. » added Jenny. «It would only work if Team Blast attacks several places at the same time. If they concentrate their assault on one place, then we'd be outrageously outnumbered. »

«We're back at the beginning. We're screwed no matter what we try. »

«… I'm not so sure. » Pikachu began.

Genno and Ash looked at him with deep interest.

* * *

The mayor of Viridian City had the headache of the century. Yesterday, he had heard of an operation of Team Blast threatening the other cities, but it turned out to be a decoy. The real attack had been directed here. Now, a big fraction of the population's and of the police's pokemon was in a coma.

«Do you gentlemen have any ideas about what could be done to keep this mess from being the downfall of Viridian City? »

His two advisors were not in a better mood.

«We prepared a program that will distribute tested food for the remaining pokemon. This way, Team Blast strategy won't progress any further. »

«We also closed every single factory producing pokeblocks. They are under suspicion of having been in contact with Team Blast's members… willingly. »

«Oh great. » the mayor thought. «That's just what we need. »

«I see. » he said. «Anything else? »

«We received an anonymous videotape. We are almost certain it is from Team Blast. »

The mayor's eyes narrowed. Here it was. These terrorists were going to make their demands.

«Play it. »

The advisor turned on a television and put the tape in the machine. As soon as that was done, the image of a black-haired man in red and black appeared.

«Marco Blaze… » whispered the mayor with hatred.

«Hello there, Gregor Dexter, my favorite mayor, the only one with guts. So, how do you like the product of my research team? »

Mr. Dexter's knuckles were white as he clenched his fists.

«Two thousands… that's a pretty big number. Bigger than I expected, I must say. »

What was he saying?

«To tell the truth, that decoy last night was just a counter-measure in case of intrusion. It turned out to be the best thing about our plan. It doubled its chance of success. On that matter, I must congratulate you for your spy. He is crazy good. No one was able to tell he or she wasn't the one it pretended to be. We just realized the disappearance of a key. If it wasn't for that and his phone call, we wouldn't have been able to execute our plan. I must say I'm impressed. »

A spy? He hadn't sent anything like that. He didn't even know where their headquarters were.

«Anyway, let's get down to business. Since half of the police force over Kanto is immobilized, it would be suicidal to resist me, would it not be? » Marco said with a grin.

If they had been in the same room, Marco would have eaten a solid punch.

«What I want is simple. I ask for the totality of the money inside your banks. »

«This is outrageous! »

The man on the screen began to laugh.

«I can just imagine the look on your face, right now. There is no possible negotiation. If I wanted to talk I would have phoned you. Just make a public declaration as soon as you accept. Don't be too tardy though, I might not be too patient. »

As Marco laughed, the phone rang. Surprised, the mayor of Viridian city answered the call.

The conversation he had seemed to be quite shocking and, in a strange way, encouraging. When the mayor finally said: «Goodbye. », his advisors were both quite unsure of what they should do.

«Gentlemen, » Gregor announced. « prepare an extraordinary meeting with every single member of the police. »

* * *

The conference room was big, richly decorated and all in all was the most impressive part of the town hall. Today, it was even more intimidating. It was hosting more than an hundred policemen and women. In the front of the room, the tape containing Marco's demands was playing.

Gregor Dexter was satisfied. He saw the horror and the rage in these officers' face. It was going to be easy.

«Members of Viridian City police! I want to ask you, do you think that I should agree to his demands? »

Unsure whispers echoed through the room.

« I can see it in your eyes. You all refuse to bow down to a terrorist like Marco Blaze, but you try to think of the innocent citizens that will be the targets of Team Blast. That's exactly what people think police officers should act like… »

Gregor Dexter rose from his chair.

«THIS IS WRONG! »

All eyes were fixated on him.

«Protecting the citizens is the right thing to do! What you are unsure about is: «should you protect criminals? » The answer is crystal clear: NO! Policemen and women track down criminals and bring them to their trials! And this is exactly what we're going to do! We're going to take out the thorn in the side of Kanto's citizens! WE ARE GOING TO BRING TEAM BLAST DOWN! Our numbers have swindled, our pokemon are hospitalized, but WHO CARES? They have not subdued our pride as citizen of Kanto, we are not their slaves and we'll bring them down bare-handed if we need to! »

Flames of determination were spreading like wildfire. As one man, they stood from their chairs

«I swear on my pride as a mayor to bring peace again to this city! Swear on your pride as police members to fight back! Tell me: should I agree with his demands? »

An hundred voices echoed as one. «NEVER! »

The mayor smiled as he sat back.

«Today, I am going to reassure our citizens that nothing bad will happen to them. To keep that promise, I'll pretend to agree with Marco's demands, but don't be fooled. Can you feel that fire burning in your chest? This is your pride and I want you to use it to burn down Team Blast. As I'll say that I agree, I want you all to prepare to strike down those damn criminals. Dismissed. »

As everyone was leaving the room, the two advisors talked in low voices.

«Isn't this madness? We don't have enough strength to take them down. »

«I wouldn't say that. History takes strange turns when the right men acts in unexpected ways. The mayor may have taken one of those turns. »

Said man was proudly looking at the men and women who chose to fight for those they swore to protect.

«Dad! » shouted a young blond boy.

«Sebastian! » called the mayor.

«You were awesome! You're the coolest dad ever. » he claimed as he hugged his dad.

The previously authoritative man ran a hand through his son's hair with tenderness.

* * *

They had found a comfortable inn to stay in. They were resting. They didn't know if they'd be able to sleep that night.

«Well, I'm surprised you thought about something like that: «We don't need to defend, we can just attack instead. » » Genno assured. «You didn't strike me as the type of guy to think like that, Pikachu. »

«You obviously never saw me in a real battle. » responded the pokemon.

«Yeah, he is a killer pikachu. » Ash joked.

«Hey! »

«Just kidding. »

«Anyway, we should prepare ourselves mentally. The troops from Viridian City will arrive shortly. »

«In other worlds, let's all stress about how much is at stake here. » sarcastically added Ash.

«I'm serious. »

«Me too. Is that really what we should do? »

Pikachu jumped in. «Why don't we listen to the news? They will probably say something important. »

Both of them questioned Pikachu with their eyes before giving in.

«Okay. » They both agreed.

The woman on the screen, Paulina Jersey, seemed to be passionately relating her story.

«Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible. We've heard shocking news coming from Lavender Town and Fuchsia City. »

All three leaned toward the television. What was it all about?

«It seems that both mayors of Lavender Town and Fuchsia City refused to obey Team Blast and are offering a united resistance toward the criminal organization. It is currently unknown if the leader of Team Blast, Marco Blaze, has answered these challenges. »


	15. Counterattack

**Poke-genetics: Counterattack**

Pokemon in the forest near Cerulean City had learned in the past few months to quickly run away whenever those humans in red and black moved in groups. In those times, they were dangerous and many pokemon learned the hard way not to stay in their path. They were prisoner of glass boxes now.

«Faster everyone, we need to get to the right place in the next fifteen minutes. »

The captain was executing her leader's master plan.

* * *

In his office, Marco Blaze was looking at the reports he received from the cities hit by the wave of poisoned pokeblocks. He felt like burning those sheets of paper, but he knew better than to let his emotion control him. They were going to know their pain, he repeated. He had sent two groups, a very small one was to go to Viridian City to collect what he ordered them to and the other, a massive group, was to move away from Cerulean City's forest and get ready to strike the fools that refused his offers.

* * *

«Genno, I think it's them! The troops from Viridian City are at the entrance of the city. »

The teenager looked where his friend told him and saw the huge group of police officers. If they weren't here for Team Blast, he hoped it wasn't for him.

Or else he was utterly screwed.

«Let's go meet them. We don't have that much time. » urged Pikachu. «If Team Blast caught rumors of our movements, it'll be over before it even started. »

The police officers first told them this when they met them:

«Move, there's nothing to see. »

«Huhum… we're the one that'll guide you to their place. »

The police officer's jaw dropped.

«_You're_ the spy that infiltrated Team Blast's headquarters? »

«You know what they say: looks can be deceiving. And in my case, that's pretty useful. » Genno argued with a smile.

«But… you're just a kid. »

Ash sulked. He was sixteen, not ten. His body didn't look that young, did it?

«If you want a proof… follow me there… mister…? »

«Jerry. »

Genno guided him into a dark alley.

«Close your eyes. »

The man looked at him skeptically.

«Just do it, I'm not strong enough to do anything funny. »

His skeptical expression didn't leave his face, but he closed his eyes nonetheless.

Under the incredulous eyes of Ash and Pikachu, he transformed.

«Are you crazy? » they asked.

«You can open your eyes. » he said with a much deeper voice.

When the man opened his eyes, he didn't believe it. He was seeing himself.

Genno had an arrogant air of triumph on his traits.

«Convinced? » he inquired.

«There must be a trick! »

«Of course there is, but I won't tell you. Close your eyes again. »

Mechanically, the police officer obeyed and Genno returned to normal, in other words, he became Ash again.

«Since I can see the back of your molars, I'll guess that you believe me now. Now, where is Officer Jenny? »

«She's… nowhere to be found. We had given her a vacation and she was not seen for a few days now. »

This was curious. Was it because of Stan's kidnapping?

«In that case… we'll leave for Team Blast headquarters right away. » Genno said.

* * *

«The entrance is that way. » he whispered.

They were very close to Team Blast hideout. Genno, Ash and Pikachu on his shoulders, Jerry and two other officers had a brief meeting.

«From what I saw, Marco's office is the farthest place away from the entrance. It's on the third floor, after the computer room. The second floor is one massive lab where the prisoners are sent to work, especially the poke-geneticist they captured a few weeks ago. The first one is where we'll have to fight. There are two rooms which looked like barracks on each side of the first corners. A bit further, there's the dining hall and believe me, it's huge. If we're lucky enough, there won't be a lot of people there… but we can't count on luck. On the other side of the dining hall, there's a corridor which leads to the cells. Unfortunately, it's filled with lasers and we need a key to deactivate the system. »

«So, we can't free them before we get to Marco. » Jerry summarized.

«No, and we can't operate any elevators without the fingerprint of a member. »

«There's a way to trick this kind of system. Leave that to us. » One of the two other policeman said.

«Alright, so we'll go down and attack the barracks. Then, we'll use one of our newly made prisoners and operate the elevator to Marco's level. »

«What if there isn't someone with the right fingerprint? » Genno asked.

«We'll try the same thing as for the entrance, but it might not work. In that case, we'll have to hack into the system to operate forcefully. »

«There's another problem. The elevators are small. Eight in those is cramped. »

«We'll have to send our most powerful fighters first then. »

«Both of you, choose three police officers known for their skills in pokemon battle and one with expert gun mastery. »

Jerry turned toward the three boys.

«Are you sure you want to come? This is going to be a hell lot more dangerous than just breaking in. There will be actual fighting down there. »

They didn't falter.

«Of course, we'll come. We vowed to destroy them. »

Jerry had a strange look in his eyes. What could Team Blast have done that bad to them?

«Very well, prepare yourselves. »

The first group didn't have any trouble with the elevator. With a simple trick of powder and glove, they managed to fool the digital gel.

«High technology can't always beat the older. » a guy joked.

When the door opened, they jumped on the guard, rendering him unconscious before he could utter a sound. They tied him up and waited for the rest of the troop to arrive.

* * *

They were sleeping. They had been part of the operation yesterday and neither Sarah nor Elizabeth felt like chatting. Elizabeth was sleeping and Sarah thought of their years as kids. It was not a happy period of their life. The two best friends had lived through poverty for as long as they could remember, but they were always there one for the other. One time, as their stomachs were asking for something to be filled with, the two small girls swore to escape from poverty, no matter the means they'd have to take.

Around the time of the creation of Team Blast, they were getting desperate. Elizabeth had fallen sick and they couldn't afford the treatment. As Sarah was falling in the abyss of despair, she ran in the streets and broke through the first store she saw. Before she could be caught, she had already escaped… but not without the camera witnessing the crime.

The first thing she did was to pay the bill for the hospital and they began immediate treatment. The next morning, she was in jail.

It was there that a man visited her. He asked her why she stole and she answered honestly. The man looked like she was interesting and asked her if she'd do it again. Just like before, she honestly answered: «Yes, I'd do it again for Elizabeth's sake. »

The man just smile and opened the cell. He declared that he had paid for her to be released on bail.

«Why are you doing that? »

«Because I'm like you. Would you like to join my organization? »

It had been easy to answer. Elizabeth understood and joined with her. They discovered that Team Blast cared for its members and it protected them. The shadow of poverty that followed them all their life had disappeared.

Not long ago, they thought they might be thrown out of the team. At first, when Sarah heard that Elizabeth had run away with the keys, she couldn't believe her ears. It was non-sense.

Fortunately, a simple call to the operator of her squad revealed that she had been with the operation all along. Understanding, Marco didn't punish them and they swore loyalty to him again.

A muffled noise echoed in the room. Sarah immediately woke up her friend.

They weren't fast enough.

* * *

The force had secured the barracks. Very few members were still in them, so it was not a harsh task.

«Barracks secured. » reported a police officer. «Our men are moving toward the elevator and the dining hall. »

«Go in the dining hall before, there might be someone hidden in there. Did you capture any team member? »

«No member had the time to defend himself; most of them were asleep when we attacked. »

«Very well, send a few men to test their fingerprints. »

«Right away, sir. »

They entered the dining hall. It was completely deserted. There wasn't even the trace of their presence.

«Search for any hiding member! » Jerry ordered.

As the men invaded the room, Genno looked around. There was something wrong with this place. The last time, most of the members were there. Now, there wasn't a soul… was there that much criminals going for Lavender Town and Fuchsia City? He hoped they'd be fast enough to capture Marco, so there wouldn't be any assault on these places.

Wait… it wasn't the fact that it was deserted. It was something else! What was it?

«Guys, get off my shoulder. » he whispered. «I'll transform where they can't see me. »

«Why? »

«If my hunch is right… »

Without waiting, both Pikachu and Ash jumped from his shoulder and landed on the metallic ground.

Discreetly, Genno walked backward toward the corridor from which they arrived. He was about to disappear after the corner when Ash suddenly said:

«I feel… weird… »

Genno got next to his friend and observed him carefully.

«In which way do you feel weird? »

«I'm… dizzy. My head's spinning. »

Pikachu added:

«It's like… I can't find my balance anymore. »

«Everyone! Call all the pokemon with healing abilities you have right now! Team Blast is trying to put us to sleep with gas! » Genno claimed.

In one coordinated movement, the officers called their pokemon. In a matter of seconds, you could hear the men and women giving the orders to use Cure and Recover.

«This is bad. » whispered Genno.

«Kid, how do you know that? »

«My pikachus began to feel weird as soon as they touched the ground. Since they are the only ones being affected, I deduced it was either something affecting only pokemon or something that that was not reaching us. The problem is: I'm not feeling that well since we entered this room. Some gases are heavy enough not to ascend. They'll stay near the ground until there is enough in the room. »

«You should be working for the police, kid! »

«That's what I'm doing right now. »

«Aww, so touching. » the voice of a woman echoed. «It's just a pity the gas didn't work. You've got a good intuition, boy. »

Ash, Pikachu and Genno looked horrified. That voice…

Janes!

And behind her, hundreds of members were teleporting into the dining hall with psychic pokemon.

* * *

«Mister Dexter… »

«What is it, Paul? » the mayor of Viridian City asked.

His advisor looked at him with pity.

«I persist in saying that attacking Team Blast is a bad idea. »

«And I persist in saying that now is the only chance we'll ever get. We know the location of their hideout, they are busy with Lavender Town and Fuchsia City and they think we won't do a thing. What more do you want? »

«Sir… » he said with a weak voice.

«They are already attacking. Why are you telling me this now? »

«Because… » the advisor began. However, he stopped looking reluctant, his posture straightened and a sly grin took place on his face.

«…I've been ordered to. » he completed evilly.

Five men in red and black erupted in the office and jumped on him.

Gregor Dexter roared in rage and he charged them. He threw a powerful punch that made one of his opponent fly to the wall. They all looked alternatively at the man that stopped moving and at the mayor. Suddenly, they weren't as sure as before and the traitor swallowed loudly.

«What are you waiting for, you idiots? Get him! » he ordered.

The mayor got out of his boxing posture and kneed another member… but got hit on the cheeks. He countered with an elbow to that guy's stomach and was punched in the guts himself. He was knocking another member with an uppercut when Paul said:

«Machoke, go! »

The fighting pokemon ran toward the mayor with the intent to grab him.

The machoke did not believe it. The man had caught both his arms and was trying to push him away!

«This is ridiculous…» uttered a stunned Paul.

Gregor was pouring all his strength on his lower body, preventing the machoke from moving him.

One of the members was smart enough not to stare. He ran toward Gregor Dexter and kicked him behind the head.

The mayor of Viridian City fell to the ground.

* * *

The fight was one-sided. Taken by surprise, lots of police officers were knocked out before they had the time to react. From then on, it was more of a game for the members of Team Blast.

A deadly game.

The officers that weren't taken out were fighting viciously and desperately. Those that made mistakes on Team Blast's side did not all wake up to tell the tale the next day. After a few lost on their side, Team Blast used its numerical advantage to its fullest. Officers found themselves surrounded by various pokemon and members, often alone in the middle of a circle.

This was not looking good at all.

Jerry and Genno were fighting Janes with all their might, but it wasn't enough. The horrible woman was a dangerous foe and her team of pokemon was terrifying.

«Alakazam, Confusion on Jerry. »

The man got lifted from the ground and was unable to move.

«Tyranitar, Hyper beam on the pikachu to your left. »

Ash was sent flying to a wall.

«Dragonite, Dragon breath on the kid. »

Genno fell to the ground.

«CHUUUUUUUU! » yelled Pikachu as he tried to use Thunderbolt on her.

«Wabbuffet, do your thing. »

The powerful attack rebounded and knocked Pikachu out.

In but a few moves, she had taken them down. She had a disappointed look on her face.

«Oh, cuties… you're so fragile… and here I thought I could have a little fun. Oh well, since none of you died, I'll be able to play with you later. You'll be my little servants. »

«Never… » replied Genno.

«We won't serve… you! » Ash said with difficulty.

«Oh… but you won't have a choice… after all, a pokemon's duty is toward the trainer that caught it, isn't that right? »

Their blood froze.

«Ash Ketchum, well-known pokemon trainer. » she stated as she looked at Ash. «Genno Avery, son of the remarkable poke-geneticist Jonathan Avery. » she said as she turned toward Genno. «Don't you boys know what would happen to you if you got caught? »

«H… how…? » muttered Genno.

«I thought that pikachu of yours was strange and when I realized the defense system in your father's lab had used up the solution; I added two and two together. As for you, I knew from the very beginning. I was the one to throw the solution at you! »

She smiled cruelly.

«Now then, let's cut the chit chat and do it. » she said as she got two pokeballs out of her pockets.

She moved her arm backward to use the momentum.

A ball of yellow fur tackled her.

«Aaaaah! » she exclaimed as she got lifted from the ground.

She made a backflip mid-air and fell on her feet. She was only hurt slightly.

«That's not nice of you, Pikachu. Dragonite, take care of that little runt! »

The dragon pokemon roared and flew toward Pikachu. The mouse pokemon dodged with a quick attack and Volt Tackled the Alakazam.

A few meters away, Ash was trying to speak.

«Ge… Genno. Are you still… conscious? »

«… Barely… »

«Can… you… transform? »

«…maybe… once… »

«Good… now, listen… to me… »

Pikachu was running around at full speed, much to Janes's displeasure. «That cute little pikachu was well-trained, Dragonite is not fast enough to catch it… oh well, it won't make a difference. » She was about to give the order when a ray of light got caught in the corner of her left eye.

«Oh… you can still do that? You must really be used to being a ditto now, boy. »

Genno's shape changed. He was standing on his feet, painfully. His body was that of an Alakazam.

«That's a nice effort and all, but it won't help you. Tyranitar, Hyper beam. »

Genno barely dodged by jumping to his left. «It's now or never. » He concentrated and used the move he needed.

«You dodged that? It seems you still have a little fight in you. Oh, boys, there's a thing I don't like too much. It's to repeat. »

Her claim fell as a death sentence.

«It-won't-help-you. Tyranitar, Hyper beam again. »

Genno flew over the attack and his eyes glowed blue. His injuries were gone.

«You… used Recover! How clever of you. I like it. You're a more interesting snack now. » she declared with the smile of a predator.

Genno didn't care what he was right now. He used Confusion and both Ash and Pikachu were transported toward him. He looked sadly at Jerry. He couldn't help him. He didn't have the strength or the time to free him from Alakazam's own confusion.

«I'm sorry. » he whispered.

Neither Janes nor Jerry understood him.

«Dragonite, take them down. »

As the dragon pokemon was flying toward them, Genno focused and used another move.

Under the wide eyes of both humans and pokemon, all three of them disappeared. Genno had used Teleport.

* * *

At her counter, Nurse Joy was thinking of what medicine she could use next to speed up the recovery of the unconscious pokemon when an Alakazam carrying two injured pikachus appeared next to her.

The Alakazam was crying.


	16. Punishment

**Poke-genetics: punishment**

Ash awoke in a weird white room.

«Wow… what is this place? »

It looked vaguely familiar. With uneasy movements, he stood up and asked:

«Is there anybody here? »

No answer. He looked around. He was on a pikachu-sized bed, which was deliciously fluffy. Wait… what? He was in a fluffy bed?

«I'm not a girl! » he protested.

«Really? » asked a creamy voice. «Of the two, I thought you were the girl. »

He turned and saw a chansey.

«Huh? What do you mean: «of the two?»»

«Well, between this pikachu and you, you were the one that seemed to be the female. » she said, showing the pokemon she was holding.

«WHAT? » he shouted.

Then he stopped, she was holding Pikachu.

«Pikachu! How is he? »

«Your mate's alright. She was just shocked. »

«Thank goo… my MATE? »

«There's no need to yell. »

«Look, we're both BOYS and we're not a COUPLE! »

The chansey seemed surprised.

«Oh, could that be the reason that Alakazam was laughing so much? »

«Ohhhh… my head… » groaned Pikachu.

«Buddy, are you alright? »

«I told you that. » Chansey remarked.

«I don't care! I'm asking him! »

«Someone's a little touchy this morning… »

«Don't you have someone else to take care of? »

Insulted, the chansey pouted and walked away.

But what she said rang an alarm in his ear.

«Wait! What day are we? »

«We are the second of the month. »

Ash lost his voice.

«Ash… where are we? » Pikachu asked faintly.

«We're in a pokemon center… I think. »

«Where's Genno? »

«I… don't know. »

«I'm here, guys. » The voice came from the entrance of the room.

Ash's human body was standing there.

«Genno! » they rejoiced. « Where are we? »

«Viridian City's pokemon center. » he replied, void of emotion.

Genno looked down. He seemed desperate.

«You've been sleeping for twelve hours. Had I not use Recover, I would have too. »

«That Janes… she's a crazy woman and a great trainer. Did you see how she used a battle formation? »

«Ash, I already told you I'm not a good fighter. »

He paused for a second, held a tear and added.

«Not that it would have helped anyway… »

«Genno… » whispered Pikachu.

«Why? Why did I think I could do anything against Team Blast? » he cried.

«Genno! Stop saying that! We'll try something else. That's all. » stated Ash.

«No! No, I won't. I'm done trying! »

And before they could stop him, Genno had run away.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu wanted to run, but their bodies refused to obey. Painfully, they walked around the pokemon center.

«What could have gotten to him? » asked Ash.

«He probably blames himself for the failure of the attack against Team Blast…»

«But that makes no sense! We were ambushed, for Mew's sake! Why should he have seen it coming? There's just no way he… »

«I know, HE doesn't want to. »

«Well, if he thinks we're going to let him give up like that, he's up for a surprise. »

He wasn't looking where he was going. He was thinking about what he was going to say, so Ash walked right into Nurse Joy.

«Ouch! »

«Oh my, you're awake. That's good news. I gave you powerful medicine, but it usually takes a few more hours to work fully. Are you feeling tired? »

«Hum… yeah, kind of. » he said.

«…I'll take that as a yes. » she said with an unsure smile.

«Damn, I forgot no human understands me anymore. »

He shook his head up and down. It made him a bit dizzy, but he had to tell her somehow. If she didn't understand that, it'd be her problem.

«In that case, you should return to your bed. »

«But I need to talk to my friend! »

«No objections allowed. »

She lifted both friends and brought them back to their room.

«I'll make sure your trainer knows you are both awakes. » she assured them as she left.

The nurse then closed the lights and locked the door.

«What do we do now? » asked Ash to Pikachu.

«…we wait for Genno to come back. »

* * *

Genno was sitting close to the windows. The view was magnificent. Rays of sunlight were gliding on the structure of glass, underlining the beauty of the day.

None of that was getting to Genno. He was just feeling the abyss of despair. He had tried so hard and yet...

He didn't notice that Nurse Joy was now next to him.

«Your pikachus are awake. » informed Nurse Joy.

«I know. » he replied without looking at her.

«Then why are you here instead of being with your pokemon? »

«I… »

«I know from experience that a trainer and his pokemon may go through hardships from times to times. It doesn't matter if it's because of failure in battles or just a fight between you three; it is in time like those that you need to talk to your pokemon. »

«It… this is not the same! »

Ash and Pikachu weren't his pokemon, they were his friends!

Joy didn't seem to like what she heard.

«Why is it not the same? »

«This isn't about them, it's about me. »

«That's selfish. » she declared.

The accusation hit him with the strength of a moving car.

«I… » he mumbled.

«What do you take your pokemon for? »

«…»

«They're your friends, the most loyal companions you'll ever have. »

«I…it's not… there's nothing wrong with them! I'm the one who's in the wrong! »

«Then talk to them. If they have done nothing wrong, don't punish them by letting them in the dark. »

«But… »

Could he really talk to them? Could he face them? Could he show his face, no, not even his face, **Ash's** face, in front of them again?

«...I'll go see them. »

«That's better. Go. »

* * *

The first thing they noticed was that someone had turned the light on. The second was that Genno had come back.

«Genno! » they exclaimed.

«Sorry guys, I shouldn't have run off. »

«Hey, you came back, so it's alright. »

He smiled weakly.

«Thanks. »

He wore a much more serious look.

«…But I feel like I'm not worthy of your forgiveness. I am responsible for this mess. »

«That's not true! » yelled Pikachu.

«Team Blast is the only one we should blame. » added Ash.

«No, it's not. » Genno whispered. «Don't you understand, guys? I've dragged you into this, turning you, Ash, into a pokemon, messing your relationship with Misty. I've gone into Team Blast's lair only so that what little information I retrieved was useless. In fact, it seems they were inspired and the problem got worse. After that, I led the police of Viridian City into a trap and now, Team Blast has less enemies and more hostage than ever. »

«The attack was my idea! » said Pikachu.

«And I insisted to go with you in the lab. » added Ash. «Besides, the police of Viridian City was already planning an attack on Team Blast. Had you not led them, they'd have fought blindly and things could have turned even worse than before. »

«What about the pokemon? » Genno countered with cynicism.

«The pokemon? »

«You have not forgotten, have you? »

They were unsure of what to say.

Genno turned around and they feared he might run away again. Fortunately, he just asked them to follow him and he walked out of the room.

He led them to a glass window.

When they looked through it, Ash and Pikachu gasped in horror.

There was more than a hundred unconscious pokemon connected to machines to ensured their survivals.

«Those are the ones that suffered from my failure against Team Blast's poisoning plan. So, guys, can you still say I should be forgiven? »

They glanced at him in shocks.

«You're not…»

«Can you still tell those pokemon and trainers that they should forgive me? Can you...»

He stopped mid-sentence, he was sobbing.

«I could have done something… I had knowledge about their idea… at that time, I failed to run fast enough… I failed to contact anyone… I could have just called the factories or something… I could have… just… »

He was unable to continue. He felled to his knee.

«I made everything worse! »

A calm, soothing voice came from behind him.

«Are those the reasons why you didn't want to speak to them? »

«Nurse Joy…»

«Why do you blame yourself? » she asked.

«Did you not hear me? I caused all this! »

«… this… is completely false. » she stated.

Just as Genno turned away, the nurse added.

«After all, I'm the only one that should be blamed for this mess. »

«What? » all three boys said in unison.

«Don't you realize it? Had I been able to find an efficient treatment against the poison, Team Blast would have not threatened the cities and the police would not have gone to their place. »

«You can't blame yourself for that! You tried everything in your power! » Genno protested.

«Then why can you blame yourself? »

«I… »

«Those things were out of your control. They were beyond what you could have done. Wondering on what could have been is the fastest way to despair. The only courageous path is the right one: accept that you made mistakes and that you'll fight to correct them. »

This was exactly what they first thought when Janes had kidnapped Stan Folklow. Why was he like that now?

Because there was too much on his shoulder. He was trying to take the responsibility on himself.

«Hey, Genno, share some of your pain with us. We're strong; we'll be able to take it. » Ash said.

«Guys… »

«Besides, you shouldn't give up so soon, young boy. There is still hope. »

«What about them? » he asked, pointing at the window.

«See for yourself. » she answered with a smile.

«Huh? » the three boys babbled.

They looked through the window. At first, it seemed exactly as desperate as before, but as the minutes passed, they realized some were moving faintly.

«They are waking up. » Nurse Joy told them.

«But… »

«Team Blast's poison was very strong, but to have a way to threaten trainers, they had to make sure the pokemon wouldn't die. So, it only induced coma… for a few days. It seems the substance is slowly being neutralized by the body. In a week or so, most of them will be awake.»

«That's fantastic! » Genno exclaimed. «Wait. Why would Team Blast temporarily disable our pokemon? Won't they have a problem maintaining their grip on us? »

The nurse shrugged her shoulder, saying she didn't know.

«Genno, we should look for news! »

They were afraid of what they'd discover.

* * *

«Dear viewers, we interrupt this program to present urgent news. Our station received a tape containing a video of Marco, leader of Team Blast, answering to the ones that opposed him yesterday. »

The lady's face faded to make place to a man in red and black, with black hairs and a furious look on his face.

Marco talked to the whole region.

«Citizens of Kanto, yesterday, despite my generous offer, some of you chose to oppose me. Some simply refused to cooperate while others physically tried to harm Team Blast. This… shall not… go unpunished. »

Everywhere around the region, people were holding their breath.

«As I said, some thought they could try to attack my organization. »

The screen showed a bunch of beaten up policemen and women on their knees, handcuffed. Surrounding them was a group of Team Blast members and their pokemon. One was closer to the prisoners than the rest and was holding a knife.

«Ooooh, that's a bunch of naughty little officers we've got here, don't we? »

The officer she talked to refused to answer.

«My, it's not polite not to answer. »

And she stabbed him in the shoulder.

A core of hatred for the woman was born in the heart of many viewers, especially a blue-haired one.

The image switched back to Marco.

«These men and women were sent by Gregor Dexter, mayor of Viridian City. »

His tone lowered until it was but a threatening whisper.

«They attacked my family. I shall do the same. »

Ash whispered.

«No… »

«Don't worry, I won't kill anyone… but some might wish I did! »

His eyes seemed to look through the screen.

«Are you watching, Gregor? You refused to cooperate. You brought this upon Kanto. »

Gregor Dexter was clenching his fist in front of the television he was watching.

«You… »

«For those of you who might not know, I sent a few hours ago a dozen of elites group all over Kanto with but one order: kidnap any kid you meet. »

All over the region, people froze in horror, time stopped for an instant, as parents called for their children in panics. Not all of them received an answer.

«The only place that was spared from my wrath was Saffron City who wisely chose cooperation over violence. »

He paused then he looked through the screen again.

«Gregor, I sincerely hope you are looking right now. I know how you worried parents must feel, so I'll be nice and let you see them. »

The image switched to that of a group of children in a closed room. Many parents recognized their child and fainted in despair.

«No harm will be done to them… except for one. There is one parent out there that has defied me and he must pay for it. »

As soon as he finished, a member entered the room and grabbed a blond kid that looked around nine. Moments later, the image showed the boy from close, sitting in a glass box.

He was hitting the walls of his prison.

«Dad! Dad! Please, save me! »

Gregor Dexter felt tears rolled on his cheeks.

«Sebastian…»

The young boy kept hitting the walls.

«For those of you who don't know, this is Sebastian Dexter, the son of the mayor of Viridian City. »

A scientist with a mad grin on his face approached the kid.

«Are you afraid? »

The young boy fought to hold back his tears. He stared defiantly at George Greenwood.

«It won't matter anyway. » he said as he pressed a button on the wall.

Slowly, a yellow gas flooded the box.

When they realized what it was, Genno, Ash and Pikachu yelled:

«NO! »

The young boy looked with fear as the gas reached him. He began coughing. Soon, he was on his knees, faintly calling for his dad.

Sebastian's skin slowly turned to a bright yellow and he became smaller and smaller. The kid fell unconscious in the middle, calling one last time for his father.

Thousands of incredulous eyes stared at their television as the kid changed. In a matter of minutes, he had been turned into a pichu.

«Now, now. » Marco said to get the attention back. «I said I wouldn't kill any hostages, but I would certainly not hesitate to free this kid. »

A thousand interrogations rose at the same time. Out of them, Ash was the only one to understand fully how dangerous of a threat that was. It got worse when Marco laughed.

«I can almost hear your confused exclamation. I said I'd free him, not that I'd give him back. That means he'd be on his own… in the wild. »

Gregor Dexter finally understood the meaning of bottomless despair.

«Do you understand, Gregor? If I free him right now, you'd lose him forever. He'd be a pichu among the others. You'd have no way of ever finding him and even if you did you would have no way of knowing if it is indeed him. Even worse, even if against all those odds, you could find him, you could not change him back. All of that is assuming he'd be able to survive on his own. I heard bird pokemon have been quite aggressive recently… »

When he ended his speech, he left the mayor of Viridian City broken.

«Now that I know that I have your full cooperation, I want you to keep being the mayor of Viridian City. Only this time, you'll follow my every order. »

Marco changed of tone.

«As for the rest of you worried parents, I take for granted that you'll also cooperated… or the fate of your children will be the same as little Sebastian's. »

Everywhere, parents were crying their despair. In Pallet Town, Delia Ketchum was letting her sadness overflow her eyes.

Genno realized something strange. He thought he'd fell to the ground when the situation got so much worse, but he didn't. He couldn't help but think about Sebastian. «It is a strange thing indeed: despair. Once you reach the absolute bottom, there's nothing else to do than to climb your way out of it. »

Marco looked at them with complete seriousness.

«Here is the first order I want you all to follow. If it isn't done by next week, I'll turn one kid into a pokemon for each passing day. »

They all waited with expectations each worse than the others. What would he make them do to save their children?

«I want you all to annihilate Team Rocket. »


	17. Defeated

**Poke-genetics: defeated**

Giovanni hit his desk with his fist. The brat, Marco, gave his speech an hour ago and he still couldn't let it go. He had the nerves to order civilians to crush him. What did Marco think Team Rocket was? A charity organization? He'd brush off those desperate attempts with the back of his hand and he'd marsh on Team Blast. He'd show them.

«That little… Who does he think he is? Does he really think a bunch of civilian is enough to overthrow my organization! »

«Sir, civilians are showing at the gates! There's a massive number of them! »

«Disperse them! » he ordered without a second thought.

«Sir, there are too many of them! Most of them brought their pokemon with them. They already defeated the guards! »

«What? »

«It's only a matter of time before they destroy the gates and trash this place. »

Giovanni just realized the strength of the threat Marco Blaze made. He underestimated him and those stupid civilians. Cornered rattatas would easily attack persians… and win.

«Sir, we must flee! »

He ran with his subordinate to the top of his mansion. When he opened the door, he saw his helicopter waiting for him.

«That damn Marco… I should have gotten rid of him when I had the chance. »

The helicopter rose in the sky slowly. Giovanni eyed his magnificent residence with anger as he saw the mob invade it.

«He's going to pay! » he muttered under his breath.

The leader of Team Rocket didn't have the time to say anything else.

The helicopter shook violently and Giovanni almost fell to the ground.

«What are you doing? » he yelled to the pilot.

«We got hit by something. »

It was then that Giovanni saw the three Pidgeot flying toward him. On one of their back, there was a man in his forties. As the bird pokemon collided the helicopter, he shouted.

«I'm not going to let my daughter get turned into a pokemon! »

The three bird pokemon crushed the propellers. Giovanni didn't believe his eyes as the copter crashed.

«Am I really going to lose everything to that damn kid! »

* * *

«This is bad! Ash, Pikachu, if Team Blast's rival disappears, there truly won't be a limit to the power they could gain! »

«But we can't stop parents from trying to save their children! And even if we could, I wouldn't want to! » answered Ash.

«Ash, if Team Blast gets even more powerful than they already are, we're just doomed. »

«Will you stop being desperate all the time? »

«I'm not desperate, I'm being realistic. Look, the police of Viridian City went against them and got beaten up senselessly. Heck, WE got beaten up like babies against Janes. »

«We were ambushed! » countered Ash.

«She talked to us before attacking. » replied Genno flatly.

«That's… » began Ash.

He didn't find anything to say and the pikachu looked away.

«Then, what should we do? » asked Pikachu.

They were certain he would answer: «I don't know. » and they'd think of a solution together. He surprised them.

«I'm not sure… there's something we could try… »

* * *

«Are you sure of yourself, Misty? »

«Yes, this is the city it's in. »

«In that case, let's go. Team Blast is going overboard. »

That was certainly true. Misty couldn't do anything but agree with her companion. As they entered Lavender Town, she thought about Team Blast's mischiefs. That poor kid, what would happen to him? And the others? Would they be turned into pokemon too? Until recently, she thought only Lily had the power to do that.

She had been wrong. Systematically, her thoughts were returning to Ashchu. Why did it remind her of Ash so much? Ash was next to her when she saw Aschu… but she couldn't help but think of it as Ash transformed. Was she acting that way because Ash didn't let her confessed? Was she trying to find an excuse? No, he didn't reject her. He asked her to wait. To wait for what? She couldn't help but wonder what was so important that he'd ask here to wait. Was it Team Blast? They were getting out of control…

Somehow she wasn't sure. Ash was not really acting like himself since he was back. He was a bit more… distant. Like he wasn't sure how to act next to her.

Why did her mind always come back to that pikachu? It was ridiculous; Ash had been with her the entire time!

Still…

* * *

«This could work… » Ash reluctantly admitted.

«You really do everything you can to encourage me, don't you? » sarcastically remarked Genno.

«Hey, I'm honest here! I said it COULD work, it just sounds… unusual. »

«Think outside the box, Ash. »

«You really like to say that. »

«Just when it makes sense to. »

Ash rolled his eyes. Oh really? He doubted that.

«Let's say we follow your plan. What should we do first? » Pikachu asked.

Genno looked around to make sure nobody was listening. They were in a pokemon center, but the last treason happened in a town hall, so he wasn't too paranoid.

«We'll just disappear for now. »

«What do you mean: «disappear»? »

«What I said. We're going to disappear from Team Blast's radar. Janes knows us and I doubt she'd keep it to herself. We'll have to make sure there's no sighting of us anywhere a member of Team Blast could go. Pikachu won't have to do anything, plenty of trainers' could have a pokemon like him and while it may not extraordinary to have two, your appearance is a giveaway, Ash. »

«Where are you going with that? » said pokemon questioned… hesitantly.

«We have to change your look. »

«Oh great! You'll ask Nurse Joy to shave me, won't you? » he whined.

«That could be fun… » both Pikachu and Genno thought as their eyes sparkled wickedly.

«Tempting, but no. What I'm going to do is quite simple. »

Ash closed his eyes as his friend bent over him and he felt Genno's hands on his head.

In two moves, he had taken out his hat and the collar.

«There you go. That should do the trick for now. »

«That's all? »

«Without those, you just look like a pikachu with a bad morning hair. »

«Haha… » he laughed without conviction.

«Let's go. I'll find someone to change into on the way. »

«Wait! » Pikachu shouted.

Genno and Ash turned to see what he was looking at. It was another news flash.

«What now? » Ash complained.

«We've received news of attacks on Team Rocket's district over every single place affiliated to them during the past hour. This is unbelievable! With the fate of their children on the line, the populations of the different cities of Kanto moved massively. Well, considering what is in the hands of Marco Blaze, this should be hardly surprising. Though there is one thing that probably no one should expect: Giovanni, the leader of Tem Rocket has been captured. »

«No way! » Shouted Ash in disbelief.

«In the space of an hour… » whispered Genno, pensive.

* * *

In his office, Marco was smiling in triumph as Janes couldn't keep her surprise to herself.

«Wow… parental love sure is powerful. »

«More than you can imagine, Janes. »

She chuckled.

«Of course, I can't imagine what love feels like no matter what kind it is. » the woman bragged.

«I think that in a matter of days, the remnants of Team Rocket will be gone. »

«I love how your plans unfold perfectly. » she commented.

«And I thought you couldn't feel any kind of love. » he replied.

«Well… I'm a pretty big liar. »

Marco turned and thought that she was indeed a liar, a dangerous one.

* * *

«Maybe we'll delay the disappearance for after we pay them a visit. »

«Genno, this time, if you sneak in, someone will know it's you. »

«What do you suggest? »

«First, that we get there before whoever captured Giovanni. »

«Why? » wondered Pikachu.

«I have a feeling that Marco will ask that he is brought somewhere in Cerulean's forest. »

«Hum… do you think the security will be lowered because of it? »

«No, if it changes, it'll be even harder to break in. »

«Then why should we go precisely when it will be the hardest? »

«Because that's the one time we'll have a chance to understand Team Blast's motives the most.»

Genno and Pikachu looked at each other with round eyes. Since when was Ash that perceptive?

Then they also realized that their knowledge of Team Blast's motives was indeed insignificant. Was there a bigger goal than just ruling Kanto? They hoped there wasn't.

* * *

Giovanni finally woke up. The first thing he noticed was that he had been tied up. The second was that he had a killer headache. The third was that he was flying on a Pidgeot's back.

«Release me! » he ordered.

A second Pidgeot approached the first and the man who attacked his helicopter looked at him.

«I won't do that, Giovanni. »

«Do you have any idea of who you're talking to? I'm a Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket! »

«So what, Team Blast overthrew you and your organization. »

«THAT BRAT IS NOTHING COMPARED TO ME! »

«Really? I didn't see you succeed in taking over Kanto in less than a year. I must have been looking somewhere else at the time. »

«Shut up! »

«Listen, Giovanni. It doesn't matter who you are, was or will be. I'm bringing you to Marco Blaze's place and that's final. I'm not letting anything happen to my daughter. »

«Ah, if it was me, that stupid daughter of yours would already be in a better place. »

The man turned silent and the wind was the only sound that Giovanni could hear for a minute. Then, the father turned toward him and Giovanni felt that he shouldn't have said that last part. When the man spoke, his voice was filled with hatred.

«Never say anything like that again… » he said with a threatening tone. «If you do, I'll have to tell Marco that you had an unfortunate accident while riding to his place. »

Giovanni was shocked. It had been so long since he heard a threat like that directed toward him, even longer for a threat that he knew he should actually fear genuinely.

So the mafia boss kept his mouth shut for the rest of the trip. He was trying to think of a way to get out of this mess. It would soon be time for him to play his joker.


	18. Evil meeting

**Poke-genetics: evil meeting**

«Okay, we are close to Team Blast's hideout and as far as we know, Giovanni hasn't been transported here yet. Now what Ash? » Genno asked.

Ash looked at the friend occupying his human body. Since he might have to morph to get into Team Blast's place anyway, he figured he'd change after the infiltration.

«Now, we look for the ventilation system's entrance. When we entered with the police the other day, I noticed the vents on the ceiling. Since it is underground, the base was bound to have some big enough for great quantity of air to get inside. » Ash explained.

«Where are you going with this? We can't obstruct the ventilation system. Think of all the hostages! »

«Genno, you're not thinking outside the box… » his pikachu friend said mockingly. «We're going IN the ventilation system. »

«Oh come on, Ash! This only works in movies. In reality, they're way too small for someone to…»

He stopped when he saw that Ash and Pikachu were rolling their eyes. He then realized what he just said.

«Ok, scratch that. »

«Looks like I got used to think like a pokemon after all, right Pikachu? »

«Yup, you're getting better. »

They began their research.

* * *

Stan Folklow was trying not to move too much. It was uncomfortable to have his hands tied, but he did not struggle at all. If he so much as moved a muscle, waves of pain would fill him. He was not in a good shape. He had been beaten up brutally by a bunch of members. Once again, he had refused to take part in an experiment that disrespected the value of life.

Another stupid experiment on a living pokemon, without any kind of pain-killer.

«I swear, one day, these monsters are going to get their just dessert. »

George Greenwood was being more and more inhumane during the experiments, as if he had discovered some kind of twisted pleasure in having a life in his hands.

Not that he would be touching anything for a few weeks after what he did to him.

Stan Folklow always thought of himself as a good fellow, but captivity showed him how violent of a man he was. Most of the time, he was showing Greenwood though.

To Marco Blaze, that was a bad thing, but he would not have minded it normally. Sometimes, the horrible scientist was getting on his nerves too. The problem was that three of the remaining five poke-genetics were following his example. Marco could accept a scientist causing troubles, not four. His first order was to make sure that Stan could not come anywhere close to Greenwood… by making sure he would have trouble moving.

Luckily, he was the only one to get this treatment.

Stan suddenly felt furious. There was another poke-genetic down here that was getting a special treatment. Jonathan was still fully cooperating, sometimes even actively participating in the disgusting experiments. What was he thinking? Did the cells got to him that much? How could he forget himself like that?

Stan Folklow couldn't do anything, so he gritted his teeth, waiting, furious.

* * *

«I think I found it! » Genno said.

Ash and Pikachu ran toward him and saw their friend on his knees, pushing bushes asides.

«Look here. I saw something glimmering. »

There was an iron grille on the ground. It was fixed to a metallic plate and held by four screws. If you didn't look at it from the right angle, the woods would naturally hide it.

«Hum… it's not really that big… » noticed Ash.

«Well, I was right for humans not being able to enter the place through them. »

«Yes, you were… » Ash conceded, not without a sarcastic accent. «Anyway, it's big enough for what we're planning. »

«Pikachu, the screws are not loose enough for me to take them out. Use iron tail on them please. »

«Okay. »

After one good swing of Pikachu's tail on each screw, Genno could take out the grille.

«There's one problem… » he said.

«What is it? »

«It's going down straight for all three levels… »

« Great… » was all Ash could think of.

* * *

Giovanni saw the entrance to Team Blast's hideout before the man that kidnapped him. For a second, he hoped he would miss it, but he didn't even have the time to formulate his thoughts that the Pidgeot began to head for the ground.

* * *

«I think there's a way. » Pikachu declared. «We're actually lucky the vent is small. »

«Why are you saying that? »

«Otherwise, it would have been impossible to hold ourselves against the walls. »

«Dear Mew… » muttered Genno, paler than a ghastly.

«Wait, you mean as in slowly going down by pressing our backs on a side of the vent and our feet on the other? »

«Yes. »

Both Ash and Genno looked at each other in despair.

«Can't I just… turn into a flying type or something? »

«Well, if you intend to fly in a ventilation system too small for a person to get in… feel free. »

Genno just fell on his butt. His knees were too weak to support his human body. Just thinking about what they had to do was making him shiver.

«Don't worry, Genno. I'll go down first and Ash will be the second to go. That way, even if you lose your footing, we'll catch you. »

«Pikachu, I don't think I'll be good enough to catch him if something happens… it's more likely that I'll fall too. »

Pikachu was getting annoyed. Weren't they the ones that insisted to come her?

«Ash, you've been a pikachu longer than Genno. You're much more used to this body than he is.»

Ash didn't have anything to respond with.

«Genno, it's time for you to transform. »

«Yeah… give me a minute… »

As his friend glowed, Pikachu went down in the vent.

* * *

Janes was in an excellent mood. That police officer was always so fun to play with. The man… «What was his name again: Jerry? »… probably didn't see it that way. After all, it was hard to agree when there was a knife in your shoulder.

«Ah, what a glorious day to play with some human toys. » she claimed like a kid.

«Janes, you look so happy today. Did the boss plan another assault on the towns? » another woman asked her.

«Well, Elizabeth, he did have a few ideas, but it'll wait until after he has a private little interview with Giovanni. »

That was another thing that was making her mood better than ever. With the capture of Giovanni, a lot of things would change.

Janes entered the elevator with the intention to go to the lowest floor and meet her boss. As the door closed, she laughed like a madman. Oh, things were going to be ecstatic from now on.

* * *

«Ouch, that's my head Genno! » complained Ash.

«Sorry, my foot slipped. » he apologized.

«How is it going up there? » Pikachu asked.

«Genno keeps hitting me. »

«I'm not doing it on purpose! »

«Ash, get lower if Genno hits you so often. »

«No way! If he misses the wall again and he falls, I don't want to be too far. It won't hurt as much. »

«Then stop complaining. » ordered Pikachu.

«Seriously, Genno. » Ash said toward him only. «It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't shake so much everything you have to move a foot away from the wall. »

«Ash, I didn't like flying! What makes you think I'm going to be comfortable when I'm going down a narrow vent as a mouse? »

«It's not worse than fighting near a cliff or something. You make a mistake there and it's no better than here. »

«Ash! I'm not a fighter! How many times do I have to tell you? I've never been in a pokemon battle in my whole life, okay? »

Unfortunately, because he was angry, he wasn't as cautious as before. His small pikachu foot slipped and he fell.

Normally, this wouldn't have been too much of a problem…

Normally.

As Genno fell, Ash had been moving his foot as well. So when his friend fell on him, he wasn't stable enough.

They both fell.

Pikachu was focusing on his grip. He was getting closer to the bottom of the vent. In a few minutes, he would no longer need to hold himself against the walls.

«I hope they aren't having too much trouble up there… » he thought as he looked upward.

He almost lost balance. His two friends were falling.

Immediately, Pikachu concentrated all his strength on his hold.

«That's going to hurt. »

When they fell on him, Pikachu had the impression of being tackled by an onyx. His gritted his teeth as the impact pushed him downward. They could even hear a screeching noise as his claw scratched the metallic walls.

During a moment, it looked like Pikachu would let go.

He didn't.

«Guys… are you okay? » he asked.

«I… think. » answered a groggy Ash. «You? »

«Alright… but… you better… not stay… on me… like that… for too long… »

«Sorry, Pikachu, my foot slipped. » apologized Genno.

«You'll say… you're sorry… later… just… grab the walls! » he urged them.

They quickly obeyed and Pikachu could breathe again. The rest of the descent was uneventful and, just like Pikachu predicted, less than five minutes were necessary for them to reach the bottom of the vent.

«Where should we go now? » Genno asked both his friends.

«I suggest that way. » pointed Pikachu. « I can hear some voices. If we want to spy on them, we should go where there's someone, right? »

«Sounds good to me. » replied Ash.

Genno didn't object and the three pikachus explored the vent the way Pikachu suggested.

* * *

Marco Blaze was patiently waiting. He would finally get his revenge on that wretched man. He had mocked him at the time, humiliated him and worse of all threatened the one thing he should have never threatened.

His thoughts were interrupted when Janes entered his office.

«What are you doing here? » he asked.

«Oh, but for nothing would I want to miss such a passionate exchange. » she declared.

Marco sighted. That woman could give him a headache in a matter of seconds.

«Fine, you can stay, but be quiet. »

Before she answered, a member entered with Giovanni.

«Leave us. » Marco ordered.

His anger subdued and turned into arrogance.

«Well, what do we have here? Is it the powerful Giovanni? Not that you look remotely powerful right now. »

«It's been a long time… » Giovanni said.

«It certainly was. I think the last time we saw each other was when you laughed after you revealed your plan to me. Do you remember? It was the time you mocked me for being a stupid sentimental weakling. Does that ring a bell? »

«It does. And I still believe it, though you are less of a weakling now. »

«Are you surprised? I told you at the time that families are the one thing a sane criminal shouldn't try to destroy. Whoever is left will crush you. I must say it gave even better results than I thought. Did you feel it, Giovanni? Did your body get paralyzed by fear as the angry mob destroyed your mansion? »

«You had such a bright future as a Team Rocket member. » the mafia boss plainly stated.

«I'd say I graduated from that quite well. » Marco answered, amused.

Janes, who listened to the exchange, sat on her boss's desk. It was fascinating to hear those two leaders discussed about motives just like they'd talked about the weather.

«Anyway, Giovanni, what do you think I'll do with you? »

«Beat me to death, forget me in one of your cells or turn me into a pokemon of some sort and use me as a slave. » he enumerated with a complete lack of emotion.

«Well, you seem to be cool about it. One could admire your courage. »

At that, Giovanni chuckled.

«Is there anything funny? » Marco wondered.

«Courage? That has nothing to do with it. I'm just confident it won't happen. »

«Oh… and why is that? » he inquired, genuinely curious.

«I knew I shouldn't completely underestimate you. When you formed your Team, I sent you one of my most competent members to become a mole. »

«And who might that be? »

His question was answered when a knife appeared under his throat.

«That… would be me. » a cheerful voice replied.

«Janes… »

Marco was being held firmly by the woman and the knife was very close to his throat. Seeing this, Giovanni straighten and his own arrogance became crystal clear.

«You see? All your talk about feelings is worthless. One good backstab is all one need to win a war. »

«Boss. » she protested in a whining tone. «This isn't backstabbing. My knife is nowhere near his back. »

The man smiled slightly at the joke.

«Victory is mine. » Giovanni said. «Good job Janes. »

«Thank you, boss. »

«You've earned yourself a colossal reward. I'll get your money as soon as I take over this pitiful organization. »

Stunned, Marco Blaze asked a weird question:

«Wait! Did you say that Janes earned a reward that consisted of money? »

«That's right. Loyalty is nothing compared to greed. »

At this answer, Marco reacted in a curious way. He laughed. Not just a chuckle, he laughed like he had never heard anything that funny. The woman even had to loosen her grip or he'd have cut his own throat open. Between his tears and two laughs, he managed to say:

«You… actually… thought that… Janes… would do… something for money… that's ridiculous! »

It took him a few minutes to calm down. After that, he looked much more serious.

«Janes is a woman that loves inflicting suffering and despair. She would never be the subordinate of a man like you. »

«Nice try, Marco, but I can still see her knife on your throat. »

«In that case, why didn't you find Jonathan Avery? »

«What do you mean? »

«The person that told me how to get him was Janes. Was that part of your plan? »

Giovanni was clearly startled by that. He turned in confusion toward Janes.

«Why didn't you inform me? »

The treacherous woman just smiled… and took a test tube out of her pocket.

«Sorry, Marco, but you were right. I love chaos, so I followed you… But you only wanted to stop Team Rocket from going to Pallet Town. Now, that this is done, you're going to get boring. »

As she finished her statement, she dropped the liquid on him and jumped back.

Shocked, Marco didn't say a word as he began to feel the effect of the DNA sample. He just looked with disbelief at Janes.

«I just chose to follow the one person that seemed interesting. »

She turned to Giovanni.

«And just looking at you greedily stealing is not interesting. »

She dropped a pokeball.

«Tyranitar, use Hyper beam. »

The mafia boss was thrown against the wall.

A few seconds later, the door of Marco's office was opened and a man walked in. The treacherous woman declared to her two former bosses.

«So… that's why I'm going to follow this man. Right now, he seems deliciously mad. »

* * *

In the vent, Ash, Pikachu and Genno were holding their breath. They witnessed Janes' betrayal, completely stunned. They observed Marco slowly turn red, then melt into a mass of red goo. They saw a human get turned into ditto. They saw Giovanni get hit by the powerful attack.

And they saw the man entering the office in triumph.

As Pikachu and Ash gasped, Genno whispered crazily:

«No… that's impossible… it can't be… not… Dad! »


	19. Shock

**Poke-genetics: shock**

«Genno… Genno... Genno! » they repeatedly whispered to him.

He was paralyzed, unable to move, unable to think. It was all a nightmare, wasn't it? Just like that horrible dream he had. In but a moment, he would wake up screaming, right? RIGHT?

«You'll wake up as much as you woke up after realizing you've been turned into a pokemon. » A corner of his mind viciously replied. «You'll wake up as much as you woke up when you waited in that police station. You'll wake up as much as you woke up when Team Blast completely overwhelmed the police. »

Those could have happened! Life was harsh, that was a fact. This… wasn't harsh, it was impossible! His father couldn't be an evil man.

« Dreams are the door to what the mind refuses to accept. » the voice reminded him.

That dream! What it really showed him was not him failing; it was his father finding fascinating his meltdown! It was about his father being evil!

If even his subconscious had accepted the fact, why was he still refusing? The answer came naturally.

Because it was hard.

«Genno! » Ash whispered almost loudly. «Please snap out of it! We're not where we can afford to just stand in shock! »

The teenager realized his friends were looking at him.

«It's… alright… Please, can we just… stay a little longer? »

Reluctantly, they agreed.

* * *

«Well, this makes a nice change of scenery. » Jonathan commented. «Though from a cell, pretty much anything is a nice change. »

«I wouldn't say that, Jonathan. The torture chamber is a lot worse. » she added as she giggled.

«You have a point. » he admitted. «Now, let's see… current boss of Team Blast completely incapacitated, check. Boss of the now destroyed Team Rocket on his knees, check. Evil, competent and insane subordinate under my commands, check. Everything seems functional. »

«You… » whispered an almost unconscious Giovanni.

«You're quite the resistant fellow… Janes, can you finish the job? »

«With pleasure. » she replied.

They all knew how sincere she was.

«Huhum… I meant to make him unconscious. Having more test subjects is always good. »

She did look bored, but she obeyed nonetheless.

«Speaking of test subjects… » he continued.

He shot a look at the unconscious red ditto on the floor.

«… Marco will make a nice one. »

With that, he threw a pokeball at him and Marco Blaze disappeared inside the item.

«Janes, I hope you're ready to work a lot more from now on. I've got a lot of ambition. »

The woman grinned again. «Work» under the poke-geneticist would mean «ecstatic fun» by her standard.

Was it chance or perhaps fate? No one knows. But Jonathan was so filled with joy that he failed to notice the one tear that dropped from the ceiling.

* * *

«Pikachu, we need to get away now! » Ash urged his friend.

They grabbed Genno, who had once again stopped moving, and they dragged him along the vent.

* * *

A powerful voice echoed through the whole building.

«Attention, dear members, I have urgent news to communicate. »

Many recognized the voice coming from the speakers on the ceiling. It was the most powerful member of the team after Marco himself: Janes.

«I need to bring to your attention a biiiiig problem. »

«A problem? » most members wondered.

«Well, there is a little problem with the hierarchy right now. It seems our dear leader has been incapacitated by his interview with Giovanni. »

«What? »

«As you all know, the responsibility would fall upon my shoulder, normally. The problem is that I hate this kind of work. Luckily, someone has proposed himself for the job. You all know him; he was quite cooperative with us for the duration of his vacation in our favorite hideout. »

This was getting weird… and few were the ones that appreciated where this was going.

«I'm sure you'll all learn to appreciate Jonathan Avery. »

Their shock could be heard easily, no matter in which part of the building you were. There is one place though where the shock did not bring any surprised scream. Instead, it was the last straw to a man's rightful wrath.

Stan Folklow punched the walls of his cells. This could not have been the result of the kidnapping. His old friend… no, not his friend, he couldn't call him that anymore… Jonathan had planned this! What about his son? He was missing! Was that horrible man a pathetic excuse of a father too?

* * *

Said son was walking just like he was in a dream. He followed his two friends wherever they leaded him. Maybe he was still hoping that he'd wake up somewhere else. Anywhere except here.

«Okay, Pikachu, I see a big problem ahead of us. » Ash stated.

«What is it? »

«Well, we went down a vent to get here. Now, we have to go up those same vents. »

They thought about the problem. It would definitely be too hard for them to climb up the same vent... and that was without considering the state Genno was in.

He surprised them.

«.. Not necessarily. » Genno muttered.

«Huh? »

«The system must be connected to all three floors. If it's not, then how would the members breathe there? We can just climb by pushing on the walls like before. If we do it one level at a time, it won't be as hard. »

Ash and Pikachu stared at him. Looks like he wasn't as absent-minded as they thought he'd be.

He did not have the strength to open his eyes. He was not feeling well. To be honest, he felt worse than he ever had before. What had happened to him? He remembered the scary man with the long white coat that put him in a glass box. Where was he now? Was he still in that box?

His memory flashed before his eyes. The gas! There had been yellow gas! He remembered breathing some of it and then it was like he was burning from the inside. The last thing he could remember was the feeling of his clothes becoming bigger.

His clothes… he wasn't wearing any! Not even his underwear!

That gave him the strength to move. He stood up straight and looked at himself. There was a good reason for him not to have clothes on; he was covered in yellow fur! Not only that, but he had paws and a tail too!

The young pichu totally freaked out. Sebastian screamed.

Both Genno and Ash felt a chill down their spine.

«Is there something wrong? » Pikachu asked as he noticed their looks.

«No… we're fine. » Ash tried to sound convincing.

They couldn't explain it, but there was an unsettling feeling in their guts. It was as if they had been connected to someone.

Reality seemed to think that they were not thinking about it enough, so it jumped straight at their face.

«Guys, we're just over the exit. » Pikachu informed.

There was another grille. Behind it, they could see a member of Team Blast standing next to the elevator. Genno knew exactly what they had to do.

«Pikachu, can you get him from here? »

«Sure, but do you think it's a good idea? »

«Waiting in the ventilation system won't do us any good. »

«Getting captured will not either. » Pikachu objected.

«Just do it! » Genno urged.

He obeyed, but he shot a worried look at Ash. That was not how Genno would act normally. He was far from okay.

* * *

The member was wondering about the implication of having a new leader. It was weird. How could Giovanni do anything to the boss? He was broken, alone, without weapon. It was really weird.

But he wouldn't do a thing about it. If there was one thing that Marco had always insisted, it was to obey orders. Follow whatever orders a higher ranked member gives you and you will never be punished. Never. Right now, Janes was the most powerful member in the headquarters and the only reason they'd stop obeying her would be that Marco recovered.

He wasn't comfortable with it, but he was a soldier, Marco's soldier, and he would obey.

He was in the middle of these thought when Pikachu shocked him with a thunderbolt.

From the ceiling, three pikachus fell to the floor. One of them began to glow and turned into the unconscious member.

«Okay, we're out of here. » Genno said.

«Shouldn't we take him with us? » Ash said as he pointed to the member.

«Why? »

«I don't know… to… question him? »

«There's been a huge change in the hierarchy of the Team; there isn't any plan right now. They succeeded with the last one. We also know the exact location of the hideout, the structure of the place, the number of prisoners, what more do you want to know? What they eat for breakfast? » He enumerated rudely.

«I was just saying… »

«Oh, and I'm pretty sure that taking a regular guard hostage won't give much results. Great idea, isn't it? »

«Will you stop rubbing it in? » Ash asked.

«Genno, you're rude. » Pikachu accused.

Said boy seemed shocked at the statement and he looked ashamed.

«Sorry Ash. »

There was sadness in his voice, too much for anyone.

«Forgiven. Now Genno, we need to make a run for it. »

The three friends jumped inside the elevator and quickly escaped. As they let their legs get them as far from the place of evil as possible, they wondered how things would turn out now. Marco was gone but someone else was in his place, someone they had no idea of how to deal with. Ash had been right; there was something important bound to happen now that Team rocket was out of Team Blast's way, only, it was something they would never have predicted.

Though in Genno's head, the thought were more about if he had seen it coming but refused to acknowledge it.

* * *

Delia Ketchum walked sadly into her son's room. Less than a month ago, he had called to say he would come home a few days later. She waited for him, but he didn't show up. She was worried. She knew that he missed her and his hometown, she could hear it in his voice.

Delia Ketchum had thought she'd been stabbed in the heart when she heard about the misdeeds performed by Team Blast. As a mother, she couldn't help but feel that it threatened her child.

So, for the past few days, she was joyless. It had been hard to think that her son might have been caught up in the conflict with Team Blast. She only hoped he hadn't been hurt.

She looked at his empty bed and she couldn't hold it anymore. She cried. Oh Mew, she cried. She just couldn't fight it. She was just a mother without news of her only child in times of great danger.

Between her tears, she caught the glimpse of a light falling from the night sky.

A shooting star.

«Please, please, whoever hears this, just make sure Ash is okay. »

She wished with all her heart.

* * *

This time, there was a campfire next to the tent. They were far enough from Team Blast to take the risk of lighting a flame.

Ash and Pikachu were staring at the fire, trying not to worry too much about the future. They had discussed for a good moment now. They wondered what they should do, what they wanted to do and what they couldn't do. It was not a joyful conversation at first, but then, Ash just changed the subject. He talked with his best pal ever about things that might be meaningless to some, but were precious to them.

For years, they had been next to each other, unable to communicate properly. So, they used one of the only advantages of Ash's transformation.

«What was it like before Oak gave you to me? » the former trainer asked.

«It was not pretty. I was an only child, but my mother still had trouble being strong enough to feed me. She got sick before she had me. I heard it only made things worst. Maybe it was because of guilt, but I tried to be the one bringing food home as soon as possible. »

«That's so… »

«No need to pity me, Ash. We were quite happy with things the way they were. Even with all the hardships our lives were filled with, we managed to be a happy family. It's just that… her sickness was incurable. It slowly weakened her. »

The pokemon stopped talking for a second. He looked like he was fighting something inside him: sadness.

«It came to a point when there was nothing for her to do, but wait. »

«Pikachu… »

«It was after her… departure that Oak caught me. I didn't want anything to be with humans. My mother always told me that they could snatch away any wild pokemon and bring them back with them, with no hope of ever escaping. »

Ash felt his face burn from the shame. He was - or had been, depending on the point of view – human too. Whenever he captured a pokemon, did he really take everything it had away from it? No, he wasn't that kind of trainer. His pokemon were willing to join him. He had helped them, protected them, cared for them, so why was he feeling ashamed?

«Ash, don't look away like that. You are the best trainer ever. You are my best friend ever. » Pikachu assured with a smile.

«Pikachu… » Ash said with teary eyes.

They hugged.

«You're my best bud too. »

«That's good, now why don't you go talk to our other good friend that's confused about his father? »

Ash saw Genno, in his human body, lying on a rock not too far from the tent. He seemed to look at the stars with great interest.

He approached him while trying to think of the best way to talk about it. He did not have a lot of ideas.

«Hi Ash. » Genno said without looking.

«… how are you feeling? »

«Hazard a guess. » he answered sarcastically.

«Shocked, I guess. »

Genno looked at him, amused.

« Actually, I no longer feel that way. I'm just puzzled. Should I continue fighting? »

«Of course, you should! » he couldn't stop himself from saying.

«Even with my father on the other side? »

«Even if your whole family was on the other side! »

«You make it sound easy. »

«I know it's not easy, Genno. But don't you want to fight Team Blast? Can you seriously ignore all the evil they're doing? Can you just say to yourself that you shouldn't fight anymore? »

«… »

«Genno, this fight isn't about us anymore. It's about doing what's right. Team Blast has taken hostages. It has poisoned pokemon. They are threatening to turn _children_ into pokemon. Nobody can just stare at Team Blast and say: «I won't fight you. » Genno, this is something that has to be done. »

«I understand that. I just… don't know what is right and wrong anymore. I've always loved my father. He was the only one to take care of me. My mother died before I was old enough to walk. I don't have memories of her. Whenever I think of my family, there's only my dad. Now, I wonder if he's ever been there for real. What if I become like him? It was my dream to resemble him someday. Now, I think it would be a nightmare. »

«Genno… »

«I… I'm not sure what the right thing for me to do is. I could be wrong. I've always followed my father's advises before. I'm… empty right now. »

He got hit by a thunderbolt.

«Genno! You're not your father! You're yourself and that's final! What is your heart telling you to do? »

«…to try to stop my father. »

«Why is it telling you that? »

«… because… it's just wrong. »

«What is wrong? »

«It's wrong for him to side with Team Blast! They're evil! There's no way to argue about that! »

«Was it that hard to say it? » asked Ash.

Genno blinked in surprise.

«Genno. Whatever your father may be, you won't become someone else. You're Genno, my friend and a poke-genetics crazy fan, but hey, nobody's perfect. »

They chuckled at the joke.

«It's normal for a kid to want to be like his father, even I wanted to be like mine, but ultimately, it is a matter of choice. Genno, you'll be the person you want to be. »

They didn't know what to say, they stayed silent… until Ash awkwardly inquired.

« … so, are you going to become evil? »

«… it's just not my style. »

«What is your style then? »

Genno turned and lied on his back. He pointed at the stars over them.

«My style is to try to understand what our world is made of. Pokemon, humans and nature alike.»

Ash looked to the sky and saw the infinity of the stars over them. It was so simple yet so beautiful.

«That's a nice sight. » Ash commented.

«You bet. »

The two friends just stayed as they were. Silent, they observed the night sky in peace.

«Genno! Look over there! » Ash excitedly exclaimed.

There was a trail of light moving in the night.

«A shooting star. Make a wish. » Ash said.

«It… doesn't look like a normal shooting star. »

«Who cares? Just make a wish. »

He honestly was too confused to think of what he wanted. Genno was unable to think of a wish for a second. Suddenly, he was struck by inspiration. Mentally, he asked the stars:

«I wish that things get better for Ash. »

At that moment, the shooting star vanished.

«Wow, guess this means your wish will come true. » Ash stated as his jaw dropped to the ground.

«That's nice. I really hope that wish will be granted. »

Ash was intrigued by the enigmatic air that surrounded his friend for a second. Well, at least, he managed to cheer him up. Mission accomplished.

«Ash… thank you. »

«Hey, I'm here whenever you fall into a wimping state. »

Genno eyebrows rose, but he didn't answer that comment. It was pretty true. There was one thing he wanted to do though.

«Ash… there's something you might want to do tonight. »

«What is it? »

He took his cellphone out of his pocket.

«It's working now. »

* * *

She had fallen in the land of dreams for an hour when the phone rang. Intrigued, she answered. When she recognized the voice, her tears fell again.

She wasn't sad. In fact, it was the happiest moment of her life. Delia Ketchum cried tears of joy when she heard her son on the phone.

Her wish had been granted.


	20. Rest

**Poke-genetics: rest**

Janes was bored. She did as her new boss told her and she had to admit it had been fun, but she was bored again. Preys weren't as tasty when they didn't have anything to take away from. She wanted someone tasty... someone like those three kids. They'd be so fun to break down. Now, that was an idea she liked. All she had to do was to elaborate it…

Janes saw the pokemon in their glass containers, one in particular flashed in her eyes, and she was struck by inspiration. That was an idea so sick and twisted that she instantly loved it. Oh yes, Janes wanted to do that and watch him as he'd be crushed by the despair.

She laughed like a maniac.

* * *

Ash woke up sweating. What was that feeling? It felt as if he had been in Janes's hands.

Fortunately, he was just in the tent. Alone. Still a bit sleepy, he got out of the tent, yawning.

«Hello sleepy head. » Genno said with a smile.

He was sitting next to Pikachu, a plate of food in his hands.

«…hel… lo… » he said between two yawns.

«Wow, did you sleep well? »

«Yeah. »

«You don't look like you've slept well though. »

«Genno, you should know by now that he's sleeping as much as an ursaring in winter. »

«It's still surprising. »

«Hey! I'm still here, you know? »

They laughed a little.

«Here. » Genno said as he handed over a plate of food to Ash.

«Thanks pal. »

As he ate his food slowly (he was too sleepy to eat fast for once), Ash wondered.

«You look much happier than yesterday. » he commented.

«Well, I'm trying not to worry too much. »

«It looks like it works. » Ash stated.

«It sure does. » Genno replied.

«So, what's the schedule for today? Are we trying to kick Team Blast's butt before noon? »

«Nope. We're not doing anything today. »

It took a good minute for Ash to assimilate the new.

«Huh? Didn't we talk about this, Genno? »

«Hey, we're still fighting… but not today. What I had in mind won't work well with my father as the head of Team Blast. We should wait for now and see if Team Blast's behavior has changed. »

«Then… what are we going to do? »

Pikachu and Genno grinned.

«We'll have fun. » they answered together.

* * *

They had walked for half an hour now. Ash was completely lost. They said Pikachu heard of a place to relax that was extraordinary.

«Are you sure it's this way, Pikachu? »

«Yes, I am, Ash. Besides, if you used your nose and your ears a bit more, you'd know we're close to our destination. »

Ash blushed. He did forget to train using all five of his senses. Under Genno's curious eyes, he focused with his eyes closed. While Genno was wondering why Ash didn't crash into the first tree they saw, said pikachu was concentrating on his nose and on his ears.

They was an astounding sound not too far in front of them and it smelled like… hum… he wasn't sure.

«You're right, wherever we're going, it's right in front of us. »

Pikachu smiled at him. Genno was clearly impressed.

«Wow, you do seem to get better at being a pikachu than before. »

« I'd look stupid if I hadn't. »

«Well, it took me a lot more time to adapt to a ditto's eyes and I'm still not comfortable using them.»

«Dittos have special eyes? » Ash and Pikachu asked, puzzled.

«Of course we do. How else do you think that I could transform by looking at someone? »

«… instinct? » hazarded Ash.

«Kind of, but that's not all. Seriously, a ditto's eyes are crazy. They can see every freaking thing in the world. »

«… that's supposed to be crazy? » wondered the two of them.

«It is. It FREAKING is. I can see everything. I can see micro-waves, infra-red and such. Trust me, it is mad. I thought I was crazy when I was turned into a ditto. Even the colors are different. Plus, if I focus hard enough, I get to see DNAs. I never tried looking at ghosts, but I would bet that I could see them when they are «invisible». »

Both pikachus looked at him with round eyes.

«Okay, I must admit it is completely impossible for me to understand what I look at, but my body seems to know well enough, because it's at time like these that I produce a DNA sample. »

«Wow… » they just muttered.

«And you do that every time you morph? » inquired Pikachu.

«Yup, except when I turn into Ash. To do that, I only need to use the sample that's already in my body. »

Ash and Pikachu almost tripped. Walking while looking at your «human» friend was not healthy in the middle of a forest.

«You okay? »

«Yeah…» Pikachu answered. « And it gets better: we're at the place. »

All three stopped and looked in awe.

There was a lake an hundred meter from them. Under the morning sky, the crystal-clear water was sparkling with radiance. On the other end of it, there was a waterfall supplying it with pure water. A delicate mist was covering its surface. In the middle of the lake, there was an island covered in fruit-trees.

«It's so… beautiful… »

«Last one in the lake is the loser! » Ash yelled.

All three friends began to ran, with Ash being the one in the lead.

«No fair! » protested Genno. «You run faster than me and I can't morph in the middle of a race!»

«Too bad for you. You should have thought about it sooner. »

Just as Ash was about to jump, a bunch of spearow attacked Genno.

«Hey! Leave him alone! » both his friend shouted.

«Go away. Go away. Go away. » the birds kept repeating.

Genno was trying to protect his face from their beak, but it was no use. He ran straight into the lake.

«Why did you do that? » Pikachu asked while charging a thunderbolt.

«This place is not for humans. » they answered.

They were extremely surprised when Genno's head emerged out of the water.

«But I'm not a human, you stupid birds! »

He had turned into a pikachu.

«I'm a ditto, for Mew's sake. »

The birds pokemon just continued to stare at him, dumbfounded.

«Oh, and, by that way, Ash, I win. » he smiled in triumph.

* * *

When Genno had gotten closer to the lake, lots of pokemon in it had trembled in fear and cheered for the spearow when they tried to take care of the problem.

Most of them suddenly felt ashamed when the boy turned into a pikachu. It was not a human, it was a ditto. Oops.

At least, they weren't the ones that attacked him.

* * *

All three pikachus swam toward the island, though the one with the backpack had troubles.

«And here I was used to being human again. Why must I always switch AFTER I get comfortable?»

«Fate is a prankster. » stated Pikachu.

«Well, tell her to stop that for a while. »

«If I see her, I'll tell her. »

They reached the shore where most pokemon were resting. There was at least one of any pokemon living in the woods of Kanto.

«I thought pidgeys and spearows couldn't stand each other's. » a skeptical Genno remarked.

«Rattatas and pikachus neither. » added a voice from behind them.

They turned around to see a young rattata which looked hostile.

«Yeah, we knew that. » Ash replied just as hostilely.

He remembered an experience that was not funniest ever. Being pushed by a ratticate in a river while you could not swim wasn't exactly a fond memory.

«Knock it off, you two. » a mature voice surprised them.

They were both hit by a powerful smack behind their heads. A nidoking lifted the both of them and held them at the level of his face.

«Look, kids. Here, there is no territory and no fighting between species. This place is a pokemon haven for anyone and everyone. If I catch you fighting, you'll meet that lake faster than you can say «rodent». Understood? »

«S… sure. » they replied, blue out of fear.

«Good, now you can enjoy the place. »

He put them down.

«Ash, you should try those berries. They're delicious. » Pikachu said.

He was sitting on the branch of a fruit-tree. Genno was next to him and both had red fruits in their hands.

«You know I'm not fond of these. »

«They're really good. » confirmed Genno.

He hesitated for a second, but he climbed the tree.

«…I might as well try… » Ash said.

He took a bite and discovered that it was indeed good. It was not as good as his mother's food or Brock's cooking, but still, it was tasty. He munched the berry avidly and picked up a bunch of them.

«And here we thought that the fear had cut your appetite… » Pikachu remarked.

«Hey! I was not afraid! » Ash denied as he threw a berry at Pikachu.

The fruit exploded as it made impact with Pikachu's face. His nose got covered with bright red juice.

«Great, now my sense of smell will be screwed for the next two days. Thanks Ash. »

«That's for saying I was afraid of that rattata. »

«He was talking about the nidoking. » Genno pointed out.

«Oh… » Ash realized with embarrassment. «Sorry. »

«… I'll forgive you this time. »

«Hey, you pikachus! » shouted a pokemon below them.

«Is that supposed to be an insult? » Genno asked Pikachu.

«Coming from a rattata, it is. »

«Aren't your species cousins? »

«Not all families are perfect. »

«Well, dysfunctional family or not, if he wants a fight, he'll get one. » Ash declared. «What do you want? »

«I bet you're all too scared to fight me in the strength challenge. »

They looked at each other, completely confused.

«What is that supposed to be? »

«You don't know? » the rattata exclaimed, incredulous.

«Hey, buddy, we've been in this forest for a few days! Give us a break. »

«Oh… so you're strangers, huh? »

«What about it? »

«Nothing. Do you accept? »

«Explain it to us before! » shouted Ash.

«Alright, but get down from that tree first. »

Still unsure, they obeyed nonetheless.

«The strength challenge is what Nidoking invented to make sure there wouldn't be any fights on the island. It consists of one contest of strength, agility, intellect or anything like that. »

«Hum… and you challenge all three of us? » wondered Genno.

«Yeah! »

«Isn't that unfair for you? You're alone. »

«It doesn't matter! I want to fight you! »

Genno's eyebrows rose as he was skeptical about that kid's motivation. He looked at his two friends and surprised them.

«I accept your challenge, if I can decide what the contest is. » Genno declared.

«Fine by me. What about you two? »

«Count me in! » Ash said with a fiery look in his eyes.

«Count me out. » Pikachu said.

The three others stared at him.

«Really? » Ash said with disbelief.

«Really. I'm not in the mood to fight. I want to enjoy this place. » he explained.

«… too bad, but you two are on! »

* * *

The news that a challenge had been sent flew over the island and, in a matter of minutes, a crowd had assembled on the beach, the place where the first contest would take place.

Genno had traced a circle in the sand. The Rattata and Genno were now standing in the middle of that same circle. Surrounding them, the pokemon were forming an even bigger circle. In the crowd, Genno could see Ash, Pikachu and Nidoking.

«Good. » he thought.

«What's the challenge? » the rattata asked.

«A contest of strength. » he exclaimed.

A series of surprised exclamation ran through the group of pokemon that were watching. The two that were the most shocked were Ash and Pikachu. Of all the contests, he chose THAT one?

«Great! I'll crush you then. » the rattata sniggered.

«There are two rules: we can't use any elemental attacks, which include dark and electric types, and the first to get pushed out of the circle is the loser. »

The pokemon pondered: «No dark type… that means I can't use bite… whatever! »

«I agree. »

«Then… let's go. »

Without waiting, the rat pokemon charged toward him.

Genno didn't lose time either. He looked at the crowd and saw precisely the pokemon he wanted to see.

Under the astonished eyes of the rattata, he morphed into a nidoking.

«WHAAAAAT? » the poor pokemon screamed.

«I guessed you didn't know when you called me a pikachu, but I'm just a ditto. That's too bad for you. » Genno said darkly.

The rattata closed its eyes when he saw the nidoking raise his arm.

Then, a loud noise was heard and he opened them slowly.

He couldn't believe his eyes. The nidoking had jumped outside of the circle!

«You win. » Genno stated as he turned back into a pikachu.

* * *

This time, the challenge was taking place in the middle of the lake. The water pokemon living in it had place fifty logs on the surface, making an arena. Rattata and Ash were standing on two vaporeons' back.

«Since your friend chose the last challenge, it's my turn. » Rattata stated.

«Sure, what's the challenge? »

«It will be a contest of strength and of agility. We'll fight on these logs and the one to fall in the lake first loses. »

«Okay. »

They both jumped on a log and stared at each other.

Genno, as one of the vaporeon, looked at the both of them and yelled.

«Begin! »

Ash made the first move. He quick-attacked in the rattata's direction. The rat pokemon jump on his left and attempted a tackle.

«He's… too close. » Ash thought. «I can't dodge! »

He felt the blow hit him in the ribs and he winced in pain. Miraculously, he managed to land on a log.

«Wow… he's better than I thought. »

He needed to think of a strategy.

The rattata noticed Ash looked focused, but was strangely still. Was he…? With brutality, he attempted a bite attack on Ash.

The teenager jumped on the next log as the rat's fangs pierced the wood.

«Wow, those teeth are not for show. » he remarked mentally.

Ash slapped himself. There were better things to do than to admire that guy's strength, like an iron tail.

The rattata didn't see it coming. He felt his head get dizzy as he was sent flying.

«I must not lose my advantage! » Ash thought. «Now's my chance. »

He calculated where his opponent would land and charged up power in his cheeks.

In the lake, Genno looked with apprehension at his friend. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were saying enough by themselves.

«Don't mess up, Ash. I'm swimming in the lake! »

Ash unleashed a torrent of lightning. The attack went straight for its target. The rattata saw the bolt of electricity fly toward him and gritted his teeth. He was not going to lose to a bunch of pikachus (even if one of them was just a ditto).

The attack caused a powerful flash of light that blinded Genno.

«Ok, his attack did not hit the water, that's nice and all, but I can't see a thing now. »

When his sight got slightly less blurry, he saw both Ash and his opponent breathing heavily. While the rattata's fur looked burned, Ash looked perfectly fine.

Except he wasn't.

«He got me! » Ash thought.

His opponent received the blast, but he launched his own attack immediately after. Ash had not been fast enough to dodge.

«To think you could use Endeavor… you're stronger than I thought. » Ash told the rattata.

«Humph, your thunderbolt wasn't half-bad. » he replied.

«Let's end this. »

Both pokemon had the same idea. With a swift pulse from their hind legs, they jumped forward. At the same time, they initiated a quick-attack. At the same time, they head-butted each other. At the same time, they fell into the lake.

«Take care of the rattata, I'll get my friend. » Genno said.

The other vaporeon nodded and they dived underwater.

Genno used his aquatic body clumsily, but he managed to get Ash out of the lake fairly quickly.

When Ash stopped coughing water, he realized they were not alone. Surrounding him and Genno, who was back in his pikachu form, the others pokemon on the island were praising him.

«That was a nice fight, kiddo. » Nidoking complimented. «You don't look that experienced though. »

«That's my… third or fourth fight. » Ash said.

«Really? You reacted like someone who has good knowledge about battles. You're not lying to look better, are you? » the pokemon suspected.

«No, I'm serious. I've only fought battles like that three of four times at most. » Ash replied.

He was telling the truth. He had a lot of pokemon battle experience, but only as a trainer. That didn't count, did it?

«In that case, you should come and celebrate with us. »

«Celebrate? » Ash said, confused.

He looked at Genno, but his friend didn't know either.

«You kids really need someone to teach you the customs of this place. » the large pokemon sighted.

«Go ahead. »

«Whenever there is a challenge, at the end of the day, we organized a small feast to calm the spirit of the fighters. »

«Now, that's a tradition I like. » Ash grinned.

The pikachus followed the older pokemon in the depth of the islands.

They had only seen a fraction of the island. As they walked toward the center, they saw how many pokemon were here.

«Wow, I didn't realize this place was big enough for that many pokemon. » Ash commented.

«That's because it's not. If there was this much pokemon on the island all the time, there wouldn't be enough food. » Genno stated.

«Then why are they all here now? »

«I don't know… maybe it's vacation time? » Genno guessed.

The look in Ash's eyes meant a lot.

«Hey, I was just trying to come up with something. » he protested.

Ash stayed silent as they got closer to the center of the island. All around them, pokemon of various types were gathering food for the upcoming celebration. It was fascinating to see all those different creatures work together toward a common goal… even if Genno suspected some of them to be purely motivated by their stomach. He couldn't say he blamed them, that was a good motive.

Especially since he could hear Ash's stomach approve.

They continued walking for a few minutes. Ash noticed something strange about Genno. He was not having the face of someone about to enjoy a feast. He seemed to have something on his mind.

«You okay, buddy? » he asked with a worried voice.

«Of course, why do you ask? » Genno answered.

Ash didn't buy it. He was about to say something when Nidoking interrupted him.

«Hey, kids, that's the place. »

And he showed them the glade.

«Guys! » a familiar voice echoed.

«Pikachu? » Genno asked.

«Where have you been? » Ash inquired. «Did you at least see my fight? »

«Yeah. »

«How was it? »

«As your trainer, I'll say that it was mediocre at best. »

Ash felt the deception hit him and his ears fell.

«But, as your friend, I'll say that you are a talented beginner. » Pikachu added with a wink.

* * *

The starry sky was covering the clearing in the woods. In the middle of it, a fire had been lighted, courtesy of the few fire pokemon that were on the island. Its light was covering an impressive radius and the woods were illuminated by it.

The feast in itself had been eventful at the very least. Ash, disappointed when he realized there would only be berries to eat, had tried the exotic fruits in front of him. He had been pleasantly surprised and he began eating with a snorlax's appetite.

Frankly, most of the pokemon had been worried when he choked, but Pikachu, as annoyed as always when it happened, reacted with an unnatural calm.

«That's a habit. » he told them.

Skeptical expression painted the face of many, but they had to admit that after the third Heimlich maneuver that had to be performed on Ash, they were pretty calm too.

The rattata, disappointed in the result of the match, tried a few timeto challenge Ash again.

It didn't go well.

The first time, Nidoking just lifted him by his tail, saying that the limit was one challenge per visit.

The second time, Genno asked innocently if the challenge still applied to him. For some reason, his face became slightly blue and he quickly went to the other side of the glade.

The third, he sneaked up on Ash and challenged him from behind. Ash had been surprised while chewing and he choked again. Panicked, the rattata apologized fanatically while Genno helped him.

After that, he carefully left his rival alone.

At the end of the feast, Nidoking stood up and talked to the pokemon assembled around the flame.

«Brothers and sisters, let me tell you the tale that my grandfather was told by the grandfather of his grandfather. It happened years ago, on this island, when the humans were not capable of capturing us the way they do now. The grandfather of my grandfather's grandfather was but a small injured nidoran at that time. He had fled a group of humans that wanted to capture him for whatever vile purposes they had in mind. By some miracle fate had bestowed upon him, he managed to avoid capture and ran desperately through the forest. After an exhausting escape, he swam to this island to get away from their fire pokemon. Here, alone on this island that was but a mass of unfertile earth, he realized he would not have the strength to survive. Out of desperation, he begged the great star to help him. Taking pity of my ancestor's fate, the great star descended unto this island. »

Genno and ash could hear very clearly the gasp most pokemon made, including Pikachu.

«It told the grandfather of my grandfather's grandfather that it would heal him, but he wanted him to do a little something for it in exchange. Of course, my ancestor didn't hesitate and accepted. The great star asked him to stay on this island and make it a haven of peace for every pokemon that wished for peace. It seems that the great star was pained by the way some humans were treating their pokemon and wanted the wild ones to have a place to go and be safe. The grandfather of my grandfather's grandfather said that he wanted but that the island could not possibly be welcoming to others, it was only unfertile earth. The great star said it wasn't true and the island suddenly got covered in fruit-trees and berry-bushes. It promised to watch over the island once a year and cover it with food again, and then the great star left the grandfather of my grandfather's grandfather. Loyal to his promise, my ancestor stayed on the island and welcomed every single pokemon that wanted to be protected from harm. The existence of this place was slowly made to be known to all of Cerulean's forest pokemon. Each year since then, the great star flew in the sky and life bloomed once more. This tale is that of the grandfather of my grandfather's grandfather and of this haven of peace. »

Newcomers had eyes round in astonishment and the old ones nodded their acknowledgement.

Of them all, only Ash and Genno were not particularly shocked. They thought it was a nice tale, but nothing to be in shock about.

«Pikachu? What's the big deal with this story? »

He looked at them, stunned and asked with disbelief.

«You… are not shocked? »

«Why should we be? It's just the story of a nidoran and a star that helped it. » Ash stated.

Comprehension flashed in Pikachu's eyes.

«Oh, I see. Ash, Genno… pokemon do not call things by the same name that you use. The great star is the term we use to talk about Mew. »


	21. Instinct

**Poke-genetics: instinct**

«Nidoking! » they shouted.

«What is it, kids? »

«Is that story you told us true? »

«Of course, it is. I told you it came directly from the gran…»

«Yeah, yeah, we know who it came from! » cut Ash. «What we need to know is if it is just a legend, a story with symbols, or a true story. »

«Didn't I make that part clear? Did you look at the sky yesterday night? »

«Yeah… » said Ash and Genno, unsure of where that was going.

«Well, you probably saw a shooting star then. That was the great star showing that he had not forgotten us. »

Ash and Genno blinked while Pikachu questioned them silently.

«Why do you think that there is so many pokemon around? That's because the island has just been regenerated by the great star. This place is filled with its care for us. »

«What about humans? » Genno suddenly questioned.

«What do you mean? »

«Can humans get on this island? »

«As far as I know, they can't. »

Oblivious to the new shock he caused them, the elder pokemon went to sleep somewhere else. He left them stunned.

«What does this all mean? » Genno said, trying to put some order on this mishmash of data.

«Let's sum it up. Yesterday, we saw a shooting star. Today, we find this place and you're attacked for being in a human form. Tonight, Nidoking tell us that this island is under the blessing of Mew and was made to be a haven for pokemon. The shooting star from yesterday was Mew itself. Furthermore, humans aren't supposed to be able to enter this place, yet we are here. »

«Great, my father's a genius when it comes to trapping people in the bodies of pokemon. Thanks Dad. »

Pikachu looked alternatively his friends and interrupted their brainstorming.

«Seriously, why is it that important if Mew is around? Aren't we after Team Blast? What would that have to do with anything? We're not even sure if it's true. For all we know, it could be a legend believed to be true. I repeat: why is it so important? »

The two former humans looked at Pikachu, having no answer to give him.

«In that case, I suggest we all sleep on it and think about it tomorrow or some other day. »

That was wise. All three of them walked around to look for a place to sleep. They weren't the only ones though. It turned out to be a bit harder than what they imagined, but, with a little bit of determination, they found a spot under a fruit-tree that was comfortable enough.

Pikachu fell asleep rather quickly, revealing how tired he was. Just as Ash was about to close his eyes and drifted away into sleep, he felt Genno get up. Curious, he didn't react and, instead, followed his friend. Genno seemed to know where he was going because he walked in a straight line, making sure not to wake up anybody, without the slightest hesitation.

«Where is he going? » Ash asked himself.

This got even more confusing as he reached the small beach on the borders of the island.

There, Genno just stopped and looked at his reflection.

Without being noticed, Ash walked until he was just behind him. There, he noticed that the reflection was blurry. Something was perturbing the surface of the lake. His friend was crying.

«Genno… »

The ditto jumped in surprise.

«Ash! What are you doing he…? You followed me? »

«What is it, buddy? Why are you so sad? »

Genno looked away and countered with a question of his own.

«Was today fun, Ash? »

«Yeah… that was the point of coming here… »

«Ash, is it normal for me to enjoy being a pokemon more than being human? »

His jaw dropped.

«Ash, my father is the new leader of a criminal organization. I don't feel like being his son anymore. I actually enjoy when others just see me as a ditto now. It's ironic, isn't it? For weeks, I've longed to turn back and free my father, but now that my father's no longer a prisoner, I don't want to become his son again. »

«Genno, where are you going with this? »

« I… think… I won't change back. »

For a second, Ash didn't understand what he meant. Then, he began to apprehend what his friend said.

«You… want to stay a pokemon? »

He nodded in shame.

«But… Genno… » Ash was lost for words.

«From your point of view, it is horrible. You're stuck in a body that's not yours, but I'm not. I can literally be whatever I wish to be. »

«Except yourself. » Ash answered.

Genno looked away once more.

«Do I really wish to be the son of my father again? »

«Genno! You're not who your father is! The only reason you wanted to resemble him was because he was a great scientist! You are just a poke-genetics lover. It doesn't matter who your father is. In the end, it's your choice alone! »

«You're trying to be like your father, aren't you? And you don't even know him. »

Ash stopped talking completely. Sadness overcame him and his voice was stuck in his throat. The teen stayed still, trying to fight the overwhelming emotions.

«…Sorry, Ash. I… think I'm going to fly around a little. » he said as he turned into a pidgey like the ones sleeping in the trees.

He left.

Ash was now alone on the sand. Alone. How far was the last time he felt like that? No friends were with him, not Pikachu, nor Misty or Brock, not May and Max, not Dawn, not Ritchie. His mother was out of reach, his father… he had no idea who he even was.

Ash wondered.

«Was what Genno said true? Why am I dreaming of being a pokemon master? »

«Because you heard that's what your father was. » His mind answered.

«That was true before, not anymore; I want to become a pokemon master because I like it. That's all! »

«Really? »

«Yeah! »

His inner voice didn't reply this time. Either it had nothing to say or it said all it had to.

Ash sighted and decided to go back to sleep. This was not doing him any good. It was better to have some rest.

He had just gone past the fruit-trees when he smelled something incredibly good.

«What's THAT? » he wondered.

He had to focus for a second to locate the source of the scent. It was coming from the other side of the lake. He hesitated for a second, but the fragrance was literally bewitching. He had to find what it was belonging to. Without thinking, he jumped in the water and swam to the other side.

* * *

He never really liked the feeling of the wind on his feathers, but, right now, it gave him something less grim to think about. Genno regretted how he ended his conversation with Ash. His friend had done nothing to be told that. It was unfair of him to say that.

He flapped his wings harder, faster. If only he could just forget his worries for one night. The ways things were going, he'd have to be careful not to be insane by the end of the month.

He was having those dark thoughts when he saw something strange below him. A pink light was flickering under the shadows of the trees.

«What is that? »

He let his body handle the task to land without getting a broken wing or leg. Sometimes, instinct was the greatest thing ever.

Sometimes…

As he landed on a branch not too far from where he had spotted the light, Genno thought about what Nidoking said.

«Each year since then, the great star flew in the sky and life bloomed once more. »

If they saw it yesterday, why was it still here tonight?

Without making noise, he leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the light.

It was there, less than twenty meters away. A gentle light was covering the shape of a unique pokemon: Mew.

«So it was real. » he thought.

He watched in awe as the legendary creature floated between the trees. It seemed to search for something.

Genno didn't have the time to interrogate himself again. Mew suddenly disappeared.

«Huh? »

He felt a weird sensation in his spine and he fell asleep.

Before his unconscious body hit the ground, a sphere of light enveloped him softly and laid him down on the grass.

For a second, Mew shook in anger over the unconscious boy, but, in the end, it just floated away.

* * *

Ash was about to go crazy. The scent was more and more enticing as time passed. He was practically running through the woods to get nearer whatever it would lead him to.

He couldn't resist it and he didn't know why. The small rational part of his mind was scared of what might be waiting for him, but it was not remotely close to have an influence on his action.

Ash jumped over a log lying on the ground and arrived in the middle of a glade, smaller than the one where they had the feast.

It was here! It had to be. All his senses were screaming to him that it was this place!

He was alone.

How could that be? There had to be something! He was shaking with his entire body.

He heard the sound of something moving in the bushes. Ash, completely freaked out, waited where he was standing.

Ash's jaw dropped when he saw what came out of the cover of the trees.

A pikachu.

The pokemon looked at him with curiosity. It walked toward him with a slender grace; it even chuckled lightly when Ash tensed up as it got closer.

The sound of its voice brought light to the mystery. The pikachu was a female.

Ash wanted to get away when he realized what it meant, but his body had a mind of its own.

«NO! » he yelled mentally. «I'm not going to do that! I… I'm in love with Misty! I can't betray her! »

His own will got stronger and he could move his legs slightly. He had to get away!

The female was overflowed with joy. The male was so cute. His funny fur on his head, the shaking from his legs, the way he stared at her. She loved it all.

She leaned toward his body and let out an inviting sound.

The male jolted.

She felt he wanted to, but he fought not to give in.

At that, she laughed in her head. She always thought it was fun to win her partners.

Ash was panicking. He felt that he wouldn't be able to resist her much longer. Her body was swaying him. He… had… to…

She kissed him.

His mind went blank. It was like being struck by lightning. He felt flames run through his body. He was…

She leaned on him, rubbing her body against his.

He…

She kissed him again.

Ash lost it. He was taken away by a torrent of wild emotions.


	22. Consequences

**Poke-genetics: consequences**

Pikachu yawned. This night had been great. He had slept like a baby and he was feeling energized.

As he opened his eyes, he realized that neither Ash nor Genno were beside him.

«Ash woke up early? That's new. »

The mouse pokemon looked around. They were nowhere to be seen…

Pikachu shrugged it off. They probably woke up before him and decided to let him sleep. Most certainly, they were having a nice breakfast somewhere on the island.

«I wish Ash hadn't thrown that fruit at me. It's just too weird not being able to rely on my nose.»

Pikachu wandered around the island, asking from times to times about his friends. All of them answered negatively.

At first, it didn't throw him off, but he had to admit that the more he heard that answer, the more worried he was getting. He was probably paranoid.

«Hey, are you fine, kiddo? » a familiar voice asked.

«Nidoking! I'm… I'm fine. I'm just looking for my friends. »

«Oh, well, I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of them this morning, which is actually surprising considering that rattata wanted to challenge that Ash pal of yours. »

«… no one has seen them? »

«As far as I know, they're not on my island. »

«… thanks Nidoking. »Pikachu said as he went away.

This was seriously getting on his nerves. What could have happened? Oh, for the love of Mew, why did he have to lose his sense of smell now?

He went to the beach and dived in the lake. He had made sure not to be careful and some water got in his nose. Hopefully, that would help him a little.

«Gah! » he exclaimed as he gasped for air.

«Let's see… » he added as he sniffed the air surrounding the lake.

It was faint, very faint, but he caught the scent of something that could be Ash. He was not quite sure, it seemed like there was something else. Pikachu had a bad feeling about it.

* * *

«Huh? ... where am I? » muttered a confused Genno.

Dizzy, he took a look at his surroundings. He was clearly in the forest, but he didn't remember trying to sleep. What had happened? Everything was blurry. He knew there had been some reason he landed here, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Finger… not that he actually had some right now. Genno got shocked as he realized he was still a pidgey.

«I forgot about that too. Hum… that's weird; I forgot a lot of things… too many things… »

Troubled, he stretched his wings and took off.

* * *

Pikachu was furious. He was trying to find Ash, but his messed-up nose was still playing with his mind. Whenever he felt he got closer to the location of his friend, it suddenly appeared to him that he was just imagining it. It was not making any sense.

To someone observant enough, it actually did. You just had to look at the right place, over Pikachu's head, somewhere between the leaves to be precise.

Pikachu stopped running and slapped himself. That was enough. If he couldn't find him using his senses, he's try something else.

«I've been looking at this problem the wrong way. If I can't use my nose to find him, then I need to think of where he might have decided to go. Now, if I was Ash where would I go… »

The pikachu thought about it for a few minutes.

«… Nowhere… I can't think of any reason that would make Ash disappear like that… »

He couldn't go into the depth of the subject anyway. A flying pokemon fell on him.

The hit made them both roll on the ground, wincing in pain.

«Aouch! Landing was much easier as a pidgeot… » the bird complained.

«Genno, is that you? »

«Oh, Pikachu! I was not quite sure if it was you. »

«Where have you been? Is Ash with you? »

«What do you mean: «Is Ash with you? »? He's not on the island? »

«No, he's not. I've been looking for you two this morning, but no pokemon there saw either of you. Fortunately, you found me; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to trace you. »

«You wouldn't? »

«Genno, when you morph into a different pokemon, your odor changes too. »

«What about Ash? »

«This wouldn't be too much of a problem normally, but because of that stupid fruit from yesterday, I can't smell him. »

«Maybe I should give it a try… » Genno stated.

As usual, he glowed for a second before his shape became that of a pikachu.

Genno welcomed the familiar body. Having the power of transformation was great, but that didn't mean that he was at ease in any body.

Pikachu urged him.

«Genno, can you smell anything out of the ordinary? »

He took a deep breath… and tensed. He began breathing heavily and was shaking a little.

«Huh? What… is that? » Genno asked in shock.

«What? »

«How… can you be… standing like nothing? » the ditto questioned with round eyes.

«What are you talking about? » Pikachu said, completely confused.

«I feel so… weird… it's… like… my body's reacting… to the smell of something. »

«Genno! Where is it coming from? » Pikachu asked.

«I… I don't know… I think it's… this way… »

Without letting Pikachu question him further, Genno began to run.

As he followed his friend, Pikachu was suddenly worried. Was this what happened to Ash? This behavior… it was almost like…

Pikachu hoped with all his might it wasn't what he thought.

His hopes were baffled. They ended up in a clearing… where Ash was sleeping.

«ASH! » Pikachu yelled.

Startled, said teen woke up in surprise.

«Huh? »

«What are you doing here? Did you spend the night here? »

At the mention of the night, Ash blushed like crazy. Under his yellow fur, it was impossible to notice, but the look on his face was all the explanation Pikachu needed.

«Oh… you have got to be kidding me, Ash. » Pikachu said with a desperate last hope.

Genno was acting a little calmer, but he was not exactly normal either. He had troubles thinking straight right now.

«What's the big deal, Pikachu? »

«Genno, how are you feeling right now? »

«Like there's fire in my veins. »

«Well, THAT is the effect of female pikachus' pheromone. »

Genno stopped shaking, baffled.

«… you mean… »

«Ash disappeared last night... and spent it with a nice girl. »

«HOLY MILKTANK! » Genno shouted.

Ash looked to the ground. He was miserable. He had not resisted. He fell for the temptation. He betrayed the girl he loved. How would he ever have the courage to face her now?

A rare coherent thought got out of Genno's mouth.

«Why aren't you affected, Pikachu? You're the real pokemon out of the three of us. »

«That's one of the reasons. I can control myself. You have not learned to control the impulse of the mating season. The other reason is that I can barely use my sense of smell right now. »

Genno gulped. He had heard enough to regain some self-control and he transformed.

Ash couldn't blame him for turning into his human form again. He didn't wish to anyone to lose control of himself like he had.

«Okay, now, we have one heck of a problem. » began Genno, now that he was no longer affected by the pheromones.

«Oh, you mean besides the fact that I betrayed my lover out of pokemon instinct? »

«… actually, that's exactly the problem. You shouldn't try to fight Team Blast anymore. »

«What does that have to do with anything? »

«Ash! You can't go expose yourself to their malice anymore. That'd be irresponsible! Think about who you'd leave behind. » Genno stated with a strange look of anger.

«Genno, I've thought of it before and my answer hasn't changed! »

A light flashed in Genno's eyes as he realized something. With disbelief, he looked at Pikachu.

«He doesn't know about that? »

«It was never his interest. That's more of a breeder's thing I guess. » Pikachu sighted.

«What are you guys talking about? »

«And here I thought I had fatherly issues. » his friend mumbled.

Genno took a deep breath. It was not his thing to announce things like that.

«Ash, of all pokemon registered, the ones with the highest fertility are the rodent-type pokemon. »

The message was clear enough. Ash's fur rose in horror as he was hit by the realization.

«If by a week or so, you're not the father of an adorable pichu, go buy a lottery ticket! »

He felt his throat constrict under the emotion. Him? A father? He was not ready for this! He was only sixteen!

«Ash, I know you're probably not even noticing what I'm saying, but where is the female pikachu? » his friend asked.

He obviously got no answer. First, because Ash had no idea. Second, because he was still wondering if this was real or it was just a nightmare.

He was really hoping that the nightmare option was true.

«Why do you ask that, Pikachu? »

«After the mating, the female chooses a place to lay her egg. It's always like that when the mating happened outside her nest. »

«Shouldn't we try to let Ash get over it first? »

«He won't, not before we can find her. That's the choice of a life that's been made for him. He'll need a lot of time to snap out of it. »

Genno hesitated, but finally chose to just grab Ash and follow his friend.

Ash wasn't even aware that they were moving. He had no idea what to do? Him, a father? That was just ridiculous! He couldn't be one! He was not even old enough to get inside bars!

Genno felt how tensed his friend was and he shot a worried look at Pikachu.

«You were right; he's definitely not going to get over it anytime soon. »

They searched the nearby bushes, unable to know where she could be now. The mouse's nose was not good enough for him to enable an effective research. It was more of a walk around the woods frankly.

They could have taken a lot more time if Genno hadn't been struck by inspiration.

«Pikachu, is it painful for the female? »

«Not as much as it hurts humans, but she won't especially like it. »

«Then, can't you just hear her? »

«…I could try. »

Pikachu paid more attention to his surroundings using his hearing. In the middle of the morning, there were many distracting noises.

Genno watched as the pokemon focused.

«I can hear… a pikachu… it's in pain… it sounds… feminine. » Pikachu declared as he led them through the forest.

After a few minutes, Pikachu stopped and told Genno to do the same.

From this point onward, they walked on the tip of their toes. When Pikachu turned around an enormous oak tree, they saw a scene of breathtaking beauty.

Light returned to Ash's eyes. He jumped off of Genno's arms and walked toward her.

She was sleeping, exhausted from the work, tenderly protecting her egg with her body. Ash was unable to speak; he just wanted to be there with her, to be next to their unborn child.

He touched the egg from the tip of his hand. It was warm, already filled with life. At this, he felt warmth in his chest, near his heart, and he hugged them. The female woke up. She looked tired, but she smiled softly. She even bit his right ear playfully.

In high spirits, Ash laughed at this. He tackled her just as softly and rolled on the grass with her.

«He looks much better, doesn't he? » remarked Genno.

«He sure does. » Pikachu smiled in satisfaction.

«Should we give time alone then? »

«We… »

He didn't have the chance to finish. Out of nowhere, a pokemon jumped from the cover of the oak's leaves.

«What? »

In the space of a heartbeat, it had grabbed the female pikachu by her neck.

Ash immediately launched a thunderbolt that was deflected just as quickly by the pokemon.

Fear took place in their minds. It was an alakazam.

«Let her go! » shouted Ash in fury.

«I can't. » it replied.

«I told you to let her go! » he shouted as he unleashed another powerful electric attack.

«And I told you I can't. » he answered with a psychic attack. «I must obey my mistress's orders, no matter what they are. »

«I don't care! » Ash yelled again, this time attempting to iron tail the pokemon.

It barely dodged in time.

«You are strong. You could certainly… entertain her… » the alakazam said. «Unfortunately for you, she has taken an interest in you and your friends. Even more unfortunate is that now that she likes you, you'll suffer. My orders are to bring back this pikachu and put her back in her glass box. The other one… is to bring the egg too. »

Ash lost all idea of what a coherent thought was. He jumped, with anger stronger than he had ever felt before. Just as he would reach him, the alakazam teleported away.

There were very few things scarier than his mistress. What he saw inside those strange human eyes was one of them.

Ash yelled his fury to the sky. That creature had escaped with his mate.

He looked everywhere and realized the egg was gone! NO!

He shouted again, cursing his powerlessness. He brought out his wrath in the form of thunder. The pokemon in the area swore that a legendary pokemon had come out of hiding and unleashed its fury against the woods. It was not possible otherwise.

Ash was crying in the middle of this thunderstorm. Why? Why did everything had to be taken away from him? Why was he so powerless that he could not prevent those things from happening?

A voice echoed in the middle of his rage, Pikachu's voice.

« Ash! It's with us! The alakazam didn't take your child! »

He was overwhelmed by the shock. His anger faded.

«Pikachu? »

«When we saw Janes's pokemon, Genno hid it. »

«Where is it? » he asked.

«Here. » Genno answered as he got out of the woods with the egg.

Ash ran full speed in his direction.

* * *

«How did it go? » Jonathan Avery asked.

Janes put Alakazam back in his pokeball.

«Perfect! Everything has been exactly as I planned. »

«Everything? » Jonathan wondered with a skeptical tone.

Janes shivered in pleasure.

«Oh yes! To take the kid too would have been too much. Poor boy wouldn't have the strength to take it. Instead, a series of well-aimed blow will slowly erode every bit of courage he has until I can get my hands on him. Then, I'll have a nice toy to play with. »

She licked her knife sensually.

«Oh… I can't wait for him to come here… »

«While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I would like to ask you a few questions. »

The woman grinned. She had a feeling that whatever he wanted would be end up being fun.


	23. Chased

**Poke-genetics: chased**

He held his unborn child tightly against his chest. He was not holding back his tears. He whispered:

«I'm sorry. You're not even born that I already failed you. Don't worry; it won't happen again. No matter what, I'll free your mother. »

Genno and Pikachu looked depressed. The more time passed, the more crazy this whole conflict was getting. Though there was an even scarier thought they could not try not to notice.

How did Janes's alakazam know where they were? It didn't make sense… unless you considered that the female pikachu had been used to lure out one of them.

It had worked. Now what?

«Ash… » began Genno, as gently as he could. «We need to get away from here. It could come back. »

His friend swallowed heavily and wiped out his tears.

«Yeah… let's go. »

«Genno, if we're going back on the island, you need to transform. »

He nodded and changed.

All three pikachus headed back to the one place where wild pokemon could live together, one of them carrying the most precious thing he ever had.

* * *

The aquatic pokemon in the lakes were extremely surprised when the three young pikachus (two actually, but they could not help but think of him that way) returned with an egg.

The first thing they did was propose to carry the one holding it. The second was to actually take him to the island while his friends swam next to them.

Nidoking welcomed them with open arms, or course, but also with an interrogating voice.

«Well, here you are, kids. I was beginning to get worried after you disappeared this morning. You had an… eventful night as I can see. »

Ash didn't answer.

«Very well… don't mind me. Just remember that you can stay here as long as you see fit… and as long as you don't cause troubles, but I trust you on that part. »

«Thank you, Nidoking. » Genno said. «…would you mind if I ask you a question? »

«No, go ahead. »

«Did you see the backpack I had on when we got here? I'm not sure if I left it here. »

«Was there something important in it? » Nidoking wondered.

«Well, there were a few human objects that I used while in that form, but it's mostly because of the food that's in it. »

«Oh… » he said with an ashamed face.

«What is it? »

«There probably won't be a problem with your items, but you can say goodbye to your food supplies. I saw a munchlax with your bag. »

«Oh! » was all he could say.

* * *

Ash was contemplating the egg. He was getting used to that curious warmth he was feeling every time he looked at it. Under that shell, there was a life, the life of his child.

«Hey, kid. »

«Hi, Nidoking. » he answered, his mind elsewhere.

«Do you have any regrets? »

Ash didn't reply this time.

«If you could live that night again, would you do it again? »

«I WOULD! » Ash screamed.

He was nervous, anxious, stressed and whatever you want, but he could not tolerate the idea of going back in time to correct that mistake. The thought of his child never seeing the light of the day, wishing that it would not be born, those were monstrous!

«Don't… suggest anything like that again, Nidoking. » Ash said, deadly serious.

«In that case, why are you so hesitant about it? »

At the question, he calmed down and contemplated the egg again.

«I'm just wondering if I'm ready… »

The poison pokemon laughed.

«Kid, if it's here, then that means you're old enough. Nature makes it as simple as that. »

«It's not so simple! I never had a father! How am I supposed to know how to be a good one? » he pleaded desperately.

«Listen, how do you feel when you look at that egg? »

«I… feel like… I want to protect it, to be there for it. »

«That, little pikachu, is love. If you have at least that, you have what it takes to be a good father.»

Pensive, he stopped talking.

«Besides, your two friends, they'll be here to help you. »

He smiled at the mention of Genno and Pikachu. Both of them immediately thought of what he would need to raise a kid. Since their supplies were gone, Genno proposed to go buy some in Cerulean City after he turned into a pidgeotto. He had been gone for an hour or so now. Pikachu was inspecting the woods around the island to think of places Ash could use to teach him the things a pikachu would need.

«The best though would be for its mother to show up. Where is she? » the elder pokemon inquired.

«…she's been kidnapped… by a horrible woman… »

«…sorry about that, kid. »

«It's… fine. I'll just… get her back someday. »

The nidoking shot a worried look at the youngster next to him. «That's dangerous thoughts you're having. Be careful not to be swallowed by them. »

«Hey, Nidoking, do you hate trainers? »

«Hum… why do you think I'd hate them? »

«Isn't that what all wild pokemon think of them? »

«Do you hate them? »

«…not all of them… » he whispered.

«Honestly kid, I don't hate them. It may be horrible for a lot of pokemon to be caught, but it's not worse than being eaten by another predator. They consider that they lose their freedom, but it's only because they were too weak to defend it. In the wilds, if you're too weak, you can't protect yourself. It's not different with the humans. I met trainers before and I was able to defeat them. That's just the way this world works. »

«That's… »

Ash was baffled. Nidoking had an interesting point of view on how things worked. It was refreshing for things to be simple.

This was the best thing he could do: get strong enough to protect everyone he needed to protect.

* * *

Genno was exhausted. He was sitting on a bench, trying to restore some strength in his body. Flying was always so crazily tiring, but Ash always asked for him to turn into a bird-type pokemon when he had the chance. For once, he'd like it if he wasn't the one that had to do the transportation.

He shook his head. There was no use to complaining about something like that. Besides, if he was in Ash's place, he would like a free lift too.

Feeling a little better, he got up and entered the first grocery store he saw. He walked between the alleys, looking at the products on display. Genno was feeling weird, mixing with the crowd, like any other normal person in the store. How come doing something as trivial as shopping seemed out of place? His life was definitely too crazy now.

As he paid for his products, survival supplies, first quality miltank milk, baby food, special pikachu nutrient, toys, antidepressants (he intended to play a joke on Ash with those) and a few other things that might come in handy later, he heard an unwelcomed noise.

On a television hanging from the ceiling, the daily news were being reported again. He swallowed loudly. Recently, they were always the sign of really bad news. Reluctantly, he decided to stay and listen to them. If there was something they needed to know, then he had to listen, no matter what.

«Dear viewers, we've received another message from Team Blast. »

«Here it comes. » muttered Genno.

«The organization has requested actions from the citizens of Kanto. »

Once again, there was as much fear as curiosity in the ears of those in front of their television.

«In exchange for this small service, Team Blast is willing to free all the children of the habitants of the city that will obey their orders. »

Thousands of people leaned closer to their television, waiting for the reporter to dictate what they would have to do. It would not matter; all the parents out there knew they'd do it.

«Team Blast is currently looking for a trainer and his two pokemon. Whoever brings them will get to see their children again. »

Genno had his eyes wide open. «Tell me they're not… »

«Team Blast is currently looking for Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and his pikachus. Here is the picture taken from him during the last Sinnoh League tournament. »

«This is BAD! » he thought as he tried to get out unnoticed.

«Hey! It's him! » yelled someone.

«OH SHOUT! » he swore mentally.

Without losing a second, he ran with all his might. Behind him was a frightening sight: an angry mob was chasing him, telling him to stop, wanting to catch him and give him to Team Blast.

As he felt the adrenaline kick in, Genno ran even faster. He had to get out of this town now!

«WHERE ARE THOSE FREAKING BIRDS POKEMON WHEN YOU NEED THEM? » he thought.

He ran past the last house of the town, still followed.

«LEAVE ME ALONE! » he shouted, furious.

«NO WAY! » they answered.

The situation was taking a turn for the worst. Some adults were taking out their pokeballs.

«Take out a rapidash or something like that! » he begged in the inside.

Unluckily for him, none of the called pokemon were like that.

«Oh come on! Couldn't fate choose another day to teach me about irony? » he spit as he entered the woods.

«Don't let him escape! » he heard someone say behind him.

He ducked and rolled under a tree that had fallen during the last storm.

«A pokemon, I just need to see a pokemon while they're not looking! No matter which one! »

He continued his frantic race against parental love with growing panic.

«A town! There's a whole freaking town trying to capture me! » he thought as hysteria was getting to him.

He jumped over some bushes and tripped on some sort of weed. He fell to the ground with a loud noise and pain erupted in his legs.

« Oh perfect! Just what I needed! » he shouted mentally.

Then his eyes stopped on what he tripped on and said:

«Perfect! Just what I needed. »

A minute later, a couple of adult stumbled upon the place he had been moments ago.

«I'm sure I heard someone fell. » one of them declared.

«Look, there's a plastic bag on the ground. » a woman said as she bent to get it.

«Hey! Watch out! » another shouted. «These are oddish's head. If you get too close, they'll release poison spores! »

At that, the woman jumped backward.

The one that seemed like the leader declared.

«He probably tripped on them and now he's too injured to flee. Let's split up. »

They did not hear it, but a small sight of relief was let out by one of the oddishes.

* * *

Genno stayed still for hours. With half of his body buried underground, he was feeling safe. His new body even had the power to convert the nutrient in the ground into energy. Genno rested.

He had to; things were getting more and more out of hand. He might need to create another adjective the way things were going. Somehow, he kept his panic at bay for a while, but, as he finally heard the adults giving up and returning to the town, he cried of relief.

Quickly though, bitterness was added to the salt of his tears. Genno cried on the injustice of this conflict. What that an idea of his father? It was twisted, yet he could imagine his father declaring his request to the reporters.

It was so unfair! They were now fugitives.


	24. Passive

**Poke-genetics: passive**

«It won't work. » stated Janes as she leaned on the wall.

«Why are you saying that? » wondered Jonathan.

«Your son can turn into anything. He'll just stop using that form and be done with it. » she answered, bothered by this turn of events.

«Don't be petty Janes. I know you only say that because you wanted to be the one doing the hunting. »

The woman kept her smile to herself. She could not deny that and her new boss knew her quite well.

«This is not a problem. » the scientist said, not caring about his subordinate's thoughts.

«Really? »

«While he can change, his friends can't. I want them to be more cautious. They won't get too close to towns now. Any place with humans might host enemies; any place he has ever been in his life is potentially the home of people that'll capture him for us. They'll grow suspicious of anyone. They'll isolate themselves to be safe. They won't gather allies. If they try to fight us, they'll never be strong enough if it goes like this. Knowing my son, he'll break down soon. He is weak. »

«That's insensitive coming from a father. » she said with fake disapproval.

«Don't say that if you like it. »

«Awww, you're no fun when you're like that. » she whined.

«You'll have plenty of funs in the next few weeks. How is the preparation for the plan? »

«It could be worse. »

«What do you mean by that? »

«Your little university buddy is interfering with the research. »

«Stan? »

«That's the one. Greenwood caught him sabotaging an experience. »

Surprisingly, Jonathan began laughing.

«Ah, this dear Stan, he hasn't changed a bit. He was always so righteous. Did he receive punishment? »

«Of course, he should be unable to take part in the studies for a few days. »

«Good, what about the policeman? »

«Jerry? He hasn't said anything yet. Unfortunately, he was a bit tougher than I thought and he didn't say a word. He's been sent to the regular cells until he wakes up. »

«Don't kill him until he talks. With Jenny gone, he's the only one with the information. »

Obediently, she nodded and left the office. She would have to wait for the police officer to be conscious, otherwise he wouldn't beg.

There was nothing she could do for now, but she promised herself that later would not be a waste of time.

* * *

Ash swallowed slowly. He was still unsure about it. How could he be? He was trying to keep his nervousness on track, but he was not really successful.

He was listening to a bunch of mothers giving him advices on how to take care of a child. When the rumor that one of the three newcomers had disappeared for a night and came back with an egg, the females on the island decided to help the poor kid. Right now, Ash was not really convinced that their constant blabbering would be of any help. As they enumerate weird things over weirder things, he was getting more and more incredulous. That was just a joke, wasn't it? There was no way that all those things they were telling him were real, right?

He shot a pleading look at Pikachu, who had come back quickly from his researches and was sitting on a rock nearby. His best friend was holding his urge to laugh quite well, even if Ash could clearly see it.

«Hey! We're doing it for you, so don't lose focus. » scolded a venomoth with dark pink wings.

«Oh, sorry. I was just… look, I know you all want to help, but… » he stopped, unable to find the right way to express his concerns.

«But what? » asked a graceful wigglytuff.

«It's just that I'm not sure if it is really useful to know what to do when a baby tries to use Sing or wants to catch smaller bugs. My child will be a pichu and it won't be able to do anything like that… »

The few mothers assembled looked somewhat hurt, but at least one or two showed some compassion and were understanding.

«Very well. » a butterfree declared. «Instead of us telling you everything we know about taking care of our species babies, we will leave you alone for now and if you can think of questions you think we can answer, just ask. Is that better? »

«Much better. Thank you. » he said, grateful.

As the females went away, Ash reached his friend.

«Pikachu, when I listen to them, I feel like I won't be able to raise a child properly. »

«Calm down, Ash. » Pikachu ordered gently. «Besides, I'll be there to help you. »

«You've taken care of pichus before? »

«No, but I've been one myself. Ask me anything you want. »

Ash, somewhat skeptical, pondered a bit before saying:

«How long until solid food? »

«Wait until it shows interest for it, but not before three weeks. If it doesn't, which I'd be surprised, give it some in the second month. »

«Hum… what to do when its first teeth appears? »

«Nothing to do about it, just comfort it and be around. For mouse pokemon like us, it will be painful. The best is to stop him from gnawing everything in his sight until his teeth are big enough. Otherwise, it'll hurt his mouth. »

Ash gulped.

«What about… talking? »

«It'll come naturally if you don't stay silent all the time. » Pikachu assured.

Shocked, Ash asked.

«How do you know all those things? »

«You could say I had some interest in the thing from times to times. »

He didn't know how to answer. His pikachu had always been at his side, but he never knew that part of him. Was that the reason he almost left with the other pikachus that time? Because he wanted to have a family? Because he wanted to be… a father?

«Pikachu… » he began.

«What? It's not like I have regrets, you know? Our time together has been incredible. And it still is. Besides, I'm not an old man yet. » he replied with a laugh.

Ash was moved by this new token of friendship.

And it was only because he was a pikachu that he could hear it. The feeling rang a bell.

«Ash, is it normal for me to enjoy being a pokemon more than being human? » Genno's word echoed in his mind.

«Maybe it is… » he said in a whisper.

«What? » asked Pikachu.

«Oh, I just thought about Genno… »

«It's true it's been a long time since he was gone. I expected him to be back before I was. Fortunately for me, I found a nice place quickly. »

«Yeah… do you think that something happened to him? »

«I doubt it. He should be able to avoid wild pokemon and they tend to be surprise when he turns into them. I don't see any reason for people to attack him… except Team Blast. »

«If we could just count them out, there would be no problem at all. »

As Pikachu was about to reply, he was cut off by a growing shadow. The two pikachus didn't have the time to dodge that a fearow fell on them.

«Woah! » Ash could barely articulate.

«Talk about déjà vu. » muttered Pikachu, stuck under the bird.

«Sorry about that, I'm really bad at flying I guess. » apologized the pokemon.

«Coming from a flying type, that's surprising. » stated Ash.

«Ash. It's me. »

«Genno? But you had no trouble landing as a pidgeot! »

«I know! It just doesn't feel right being in this form. A pidgey was half-way manageable, but I just can't with this one. »

As he explained, he turned into a pikachu.

«That's much better. » he exclaimed.

«Great, now why don't you move away from on top of us? » Ash asked with growing impatience.

Ashamed, Genno jumped away from them with his plastic bag. He took a quick look at his purchases inside and was relieved when he saw that they were still intact. He handed the bag to his friend.

«Here, Ash. I bought some things that might come in handy. »

Ash gratefully took it.

«It took you longer than we thought it would. Did something happen on the way? »

«I got lost. » he stated as he looked away.

Pikachu and Ash looked at each other and chuckled. They should have guessed. If they had the time, they'd buy him a pokenav. He had some serious direction issues.

They missed the hint of pain in his expression. Genno decided while flying this way. He would not tell them until it would be necessary. Right now, Ash had to focus on something much more important than a move from Team Blast. Besides, they would be fine here. Humans weren't allowed on this island. They were out of Team Blast reach right now.

«Genno… » Ash gasped as he took a closer look to the content of the bag. «Those are… »

«Yes. I know, but it could be used as a last resort or something like that. »

Ash eyed the items cautiously and he reached for the food inside.

«… okay then. Just… don't ask me to transport them. »

«No, I'll handle that part. »

Ash seemed a bit less disturbed and he grabbed a snack.

«Anyone else is hungry? » he asked around.

His two friends smiled. He was quick to recover today.

* * *

He was sure that this time, he would not recover.

Stan was nauseous. He had been beaten up again. Only this time, he was not sure if the ones behind it cared if he survived or not. He was lying on the uncomfortable bed in his cell, trying not to move and reawaken the pain of his mistreated body. That damn Greenwood! If only he had acted as his regular arrogant self, he would not have noticed him meddling with the solutions.

Now he was left alone again, wondering what he could do to prevent the monstrosities that were being performed in that lab.

He was still thinking about it when a groan of pain was heard next to him. His new cell partner had woken up for the first time since they dragged him here.

«Where am I? » the man asked with a feeble voice.

«Inside a lair of monsters, locked in a cage. »

The man tried to stand up, but his legs betrayed him.

«Take it easy. You don't seem like you could take a lot right now. »

«That woman… she's a monster. She's… taking pleasure in it… She wants to see me resist, to see me struggle… She wants to have an excuse to torture me… but I'm sure that she would anyway…» the poor guy whispered as he remembered the traumatizing experience.

His voice became much more firm and burned from his emotions.

« Why should I give that monster an answer in that case? She'll have some fun, but I won't give them what they want! »

Stan didn't answer. He knew that kind of determination all too well.

«What's your name? »

«Jerry. I was the one leading the failed assault on this place. »

«What happened to your men? »

«…They keep us in another chamber like this, only much bigger. It's on the third floor. Some of us were… taken for some experiments. »

Stan felt his anger being given new life.

«When they bring them back… most are pokemon. »

Jerry couldn't identify the source of that weird noise that echoed in the cell. Had he been in a better shape, he'd have understood that it was Stan gritting his teeth.

«How many of you are there down there? » Stan wondered, anger being hinted by his tone.

«A little more than an hundred. A quarter of us are not in the form they entered this place with.»

Stan, closed his eyes, wanting to keep the suffering at bay, but it would be for the best in the end. Slowly, he moved his right arm and plunged his hand in his pocket.

«What are you doing? » Jerry asked.

«Take this… and use it when the time is right. I think… it'll be much more useful in your hands than in mine. » he said as he gave him a small object.

«That's… »

«Yes, someone pretending to be a member gave it to me. »

Jerry hid the item in his pocket when he heard footsteps. It was a footstep he had learned to recognize and his body wanted him to hide, but his dignity prevented him from doing that. Instead, he stayed where he was, next to Stan Folklow, waiting for a monster to show up.

One did.

«Hello, Jerry! » she saluted cheerfully. «Are you ready for a little trip with me to the torture chamber? »

He hardened his mind. He'd never give in to that woman. He wouldn't. He swore.


	25. New life

**Poke-genetics: new life**

Time flew by. For most of them at least. Ash, on the other hand, thought that time was going slower and slower with each passing day. His anxiety was growing just as much too.

On the island, you could feel a wind of joyful expectation.

All over the place, pokemon were talking about the coming birth.

The soon to be father was going crazy. No matter where he went there would be someone to talk to him about it. Didn't they get that he wanted to think of something else for a few minutes when he was leaving the egg in Pikachu's care?

«Ash! » shouted Genno, urgency piercing his voice, as he ran toward him.

«What? »

«Pikachu said it's about to hatch! »

Ash's legs impulse came instinctively. He ran as fast as he could. It was time! He would be a father in a matter of minutes!

* * *

Most of the island population had heard the news and came to witness the scene. Pikachu shot a worried look around him. Ash was still not here! He sent Genno after him, but he could not be sure that he would find him fast enough. The sense of smell was not the most useful here. Those fruits were delicious, but they smelled a lot too! For an inexperienced pikachu like Genno, that might prevent him from finding Ash in time.

The egg suddenly moved, tilting to one side and to the other.

«Hurry Ash! You can't miss that! It might be the most important moment of your life! » Pikachu thought.

The egg moved once more.

«Hurry Ash! »

The mass of pokemon around him stepped aside. They were letting two pokemon get to the egg.

Ash and Genno.

«Ash! It started moving! »

Without a single word, Ash approached the egg.

What was he supposed to do? He had no idea on how this was going to turn out!

A single crack appeared on the shell.

Instantly, the pokemon around it leaned toward the egg. Not wanting to lose a single detail.

Ash was feeling his heartbeat get stronger and stronger. As synchronized with his father, the baby inside the shell pushed harder.

The crack got larger.

«You can do it! » Ash cheered.

The egg tilted again and a few more cracks appeared.

«I know you can! »

The baby made a stronger push and a part of the shell was lifted for a second.

Ash was breathing heavily. His body was hot; his mind was entirely focused on the small life that wanted to see the world.

An oppressing silence fell on the island.

A part of the shell fell to the ground. They could see a hint of pale yellow through the small hole.

«You can do it! » Ash repeated.

The baby pushed with all its might and half the egg shattered. The pichu fell to the ground.

Ash was completely paralyzed. His child… it was just in front of him. He was a father!

The pichu made a small, squeaking noise.

«Chuu… » it called.

It called! It called him!

Ash was the only one to move. Literally hypnotized by the sight of his child, he walked toward it. With tenderness only a parent could have, Ash carefully lifted it. Softly, he held it against its chest.

«Chuu…» it said again.

Ash never felt anything like that before. It was something completely new. There was no comparison to the intriguing warmth he felt before. His whole body was screaming to protect, to care, to love this small life in his hands.

The pichu grabbed his fur with its small paws and rested its head against its father's heart.

After another small «Chuu» ,it fell asleep.

In tears, Ash whispered with all the love he had.

«Welcome to this world, my child. »

* * *

Teary eyes and lovely warmth was being shared by the majority of the pokemon there. There were a few males that were trying to act tough, but they could not completely hide their feelings.

It was a touching scene. Beautiful, yes, seen everywhere times after times, of course, but it was pure, untainted, true.

Unfortunately, things like these cannot last forever. A pokemon got out of the circle and approached Ash.

«If you don't mind, I'd like to examine your baby. I promise it won't take long. » it asked.

Ash first thought it was rude to interrupt this first moment between him and his child, but when he looked at the pokemon, he realized it was a chansey. He was baffled. A wild chansey? He thought they were being carefully raised by the pokemon centers. He hesitated for a few seconds, but thought it would be best if the nurse pokemon could examine his child.

The baby clung to his father's fur with his little paws, but Ash, with a colossal discipline of mind, succeeded in giving it to the chansey.

«Let's see. » she said as she lifted the mouse pokemon. «It has bright pink cheeks, healthy yellow fur, the nose is the right temperature, no trouble with its mouth or tongue… its tail is already moving. Hum… the extra fur on his head is unusual, but seeing as it's similar to the father's … »

As the chansey enumerated, Ash observed the work of the nurse pokemon. It examined his baby with great care, making sure it was comfortable every time it moved. After a minute or so of those statements, the chansey gave it back to Ash with a smile.

«Congratulation, you're the father of a perfectly healthy male. »

Ash took his son and hugged him again. The pichu faintly made another «Chu…».

Genno shot a curious look at Pikachu. Why was he looking so strange? His elbow made contact with Pikachu's ribs. Startled, he looked at Genno with questioning eyes.

«What is it? »

«Don't just stand here like a statue, come with me. » he invited.

Both friends approached Ash. The new father was looking tenderly at his son.

«Congratulation, Ash. » they said.

«Thanks. » he whispered happily.

«Did you think of a name? » Genno wondered.

«… I did. » he replied.

«So, what did you think of? »

Ash hesitated for a second and then answered:

«I like Alex. »

While Genno looked satisfied, Pikachu interrupted.

«Ash, a pokemon names must include a part of its species name. » he explained.

«Really? Is your name like that too? » Ash asked.

«Yes. »

«That reminds me… » Genno began. «what IS your name? »

«Er… I'll tell you another day. »

«Why?»

«Because! »

Annoyed, he turned toward Ash.

«Anyway, your son's name should include «pi», «pika» or «chu». »

«But it's not the same with him! » Ash protested quietly, not wanting to disturb his sleeping son.

«Ash, he's a pichu. All the pichus are named that way. »

«Well, he's different. He's special! »

«Ash, do you realize that if he meets any other pichu or pikachu and present himself as that, he might get laughed at? »

Ash was silenced. There were things like that among pokemon too? He sure wouldn't want anything like that to happen to his son. He was stuck. He had no idea of what name would fit his son then.

Genno proposed a compromise.

«What about a nickname? »

Both his friends looked at him with question mark in their eyes.

«His name could be Alexchu and you could call him by a nickname: Alex. That way, he wouldn't be shunned for his name and Ash's idea would be used. Plus, Alexchu would be a reminder of your own nickname, Ashchu. Misty And Brock still think of you this way. »

The two pikachus pondered about this option. It was a good way to solve the problem.

Alexchu… it was a nice name. Ash liked it.

«Well, it's decided then. My son, your name is now Alexchu. »

* * *

There was a calm knock on her door. Intrigued, she reached the door and opened it.

«Hello Delia. »

«My, good day to you, professor Oak. » Ash's mother replied.

«May I enter? »

«Oh, but of course. I was about to make myself a little dinner. Would you like to share it with me? » she asked.

«I wouldn't want to abuse your hospitality. »

«Don't be silly. Besides, with Ash gone, it is lonely in here. » she added with a smile.

Without leaving him a choice, she grabbed his arm and dragged him inside the kitchen.

«Here, sit for a few minutes while I prepare us a good meal. » she ordered, still smiling.

For a few seconds, the professor observed the mother. She had put on an apron and was getting out her kitchen knives and her cauldron. She was showing great dexterity and, if Oak wasn't so preoccupied, he'd be fantasizing about the delicious meals she was going to make. As she moved between her oven and her refrigerator, Oak cleared his throat.

«Delia. » he said.

«Yes? » Delia asked without looking at him.

«You don't need to put on a fake smile. »

She dropped her knife on the counter.

«Oh my… I'm clumsy today. This morning, I tripped on the carpet and fell on the sofa. » she courageously tried to cover.

«You miss him? » he said, as if he had not heard a thing.

«…don't be silly. Of course I miss him. He's the only one I have. He's somewhere in Kanto while that crazy Team Blast is out here, trashing everything we hold dear. »

«Delia… Ash is strong. » Oak assured.

«He is! But so was the police force of Viridian City and so was Team Rocket! They are in a league out of our reach! » she claimed.

«Delia! Stop it! » he said as he stood up. «They won't win! We'll find a way and if we can't, someone else will! »

Delia sat down, feeling depressed. She was on the verge of tears.

«What was he thinking? » she wondered in despair.

«I'm sure there is a hidden meaning to all of this. »

«Professor, people are suffering all over the region. »

The scientist saw her crying and lost all will to convince her. He knew he wouldn't be able to help her in this fight. He did the only thing he could: he changed the subject.

«Delia, I've come here for one more reason. As I already told you, Ash's pokeball were all teleported inside my lab a few weeks ago. »

«You've already told me that. Did something special happen? »

«Actually, this happened a few days ago. » he answered as he showed her a pokeball.

She gasped when she recognized the flame sticker on it.

«It… can't be… » she muttered in shock.

«See for yourself. » Oak declared as he opened the pokeball.

Delia lost her breath. There was no possible mistake. This was the only of his kind she had ever seen before. Ash's mother touched it with a hesitant hand.

Recognizing the woman, the pokemon let her do as she pleased.

«You're… his pokemon. » she said to the black and red creature.

She swallowed loudly and asked:

«What happened to your master? »


	26. Skirmish

**Poke-genetics: skirmish**

Genno was flapping his pidgeotto's wings as well as he could. This form was much better than a spearow or even a pidgey, but he still had a few problems with flight in general.

He sighted. He would have to get used to it. Whenever they were traveling, he had to transform to move faster. Unfortunately, that included flying 90% of the time and it was completely irresponsible to risk their safety or their success because he didn't like it.

This time, he was the one to blame. When he bought the milk, he only purchased enough for two weeks, fearing its great conservative properties would not be enough, even if he was pretty sure some pokemon on the island knew how to use ice punch or blizzard.

Since he was the only one that could go in a town and get milktank milk, he volunteered to buy some more. He had been especially enthusiast after Ash wondered if he could just try to find a Milktank somewhere and morph. He knew that was a joke, but it left him mental images so freaking that he just had to get some milk in the minutes. Maybe that was part of Ash's plan. There was just one problem: they didn't have any money left.

This was why he was flying toward the place he was the most uncomfortable with: his house.

* * *

«Chuu… » Alexchu complained.

«It won't be long, I promise, Alex. » Ash said as he looked Genno's backpack for the bags of milk.

He searched through the articles. Where was it?

«CHUU! » he complained louder.

«There it is! » sighted Ash in relief.

Quickly, he grabbed the bag, opened it with his fangs and poured the precious liquid in a nursing bottle. Then, he lifted his son, placed the nursing bottle in his mouth and sat down, all in one swoop.

Calming down, the pichu sucked the milk out of the bottle. Ash watched tenderly as his son had his meal.

As the last drop of liquid was drunk, Alexchu left out a satisfied noise that sounded a little like a burp. At that, Ash chuckled.

«Now, now, don't do that in front of your grandma or she'll be mad. » he scolded playfully.

Alexchu smiled at his dad, not even understanding what he said. After that, he yawned.

«Okay, I think you could use a little nap. » Ash declared.

Letting his son cling to his fur, Ash walked on all four legs to look for a comfortable place. He settled for the foot of a fruit-tree not too far from the beaches. From there, they could hear the voices of pokemon playing on the beach or swimming in the lake.

«We'll be comfortable here, won't we? » he said to his son.

«Chu! » he answered with a smile.

Ash laid on his back, Alexchu on his chest. As the small pokemon drifted away in sleep, Ash fondled him, stroking his head and messing with the little bit of fur on Alexchu's forehead.

«Sweet dreams. » he wished him.

He stood where he was, listening to his son's calm breath. His mind wondered. What was he going to do about Team Blast? As Genno told him, it was impossible to just barge in the middle of the conflict. He had responsibilities, he had to take care of Alex. Even if he could find someone to take care of his son while he was fighting, there were always risks. What if he did not return? What would happen to his son then? His mother had been kidnapped. If his father went missing, he'd be alone, without a family to love him. Ash vowed not to let it happen. He knew all too well what it was like not to have a father to grow up. There was no way he'd leave Alex alone.

«Ash! » Pikachu said incredulous. «What are you doing? »

«Acting as a pillow, why? »

He understood why Pikachu looked shocked about his behavior when he felt liquid pouring on him.

Alexchu had an accident.

«Common sense, Ash. It was okay the last time in the nursery, because that pichu looked months old. Alexchu's just a newborn and if you fed him, there's an hundred percent chance that it will happen. » Pikachu pointed out.

Feeling uncomfortable, the pichu woke up and protested loudly.

«That's another habit you ought to lose. » Ash commented. «Well, it's bath time for the both of us. »

Holding him at the end of his arms, Ash took him to the beach. There, many pokemon were relaxing on the sands while their own children were playing in the lake or on the sand. There was even a strength challenge going over the lake. It seemed like these were bound to happen frequently between rival specie. This time, there were a pidgey and a spearow having a flying agility contest. Normally, he would have just enjoyed the show, but Alexchu thought otherwise and didn't hesitate to tell his father with another loud «CHU! ».

Ash looked around the beach, trying to find a particular pokemon. Luckily, there was one that was not swimming in the lake. He approached it.

«Hum… Hi. » he clumsily started.

«Well, hello there, pikachu boy. » the vaporeon replied.

The pokemon's crystalline tone and her slender grace identified her as a female.

«May I ask for your help? »

Her keen eyes identified the source of his embarrassment immediately.

She chuckled.

« What do you need me for? »

«We need a bath… or a shower. »

«That I can see. Alright, I'll help you. Follow me. »

She led him to another part of the beach. On this side of the island, there didn't seem to be any resting pokemon. He thought it was strange, but shrugged it off. Still holding Alexchu at the end of his arms, he said:

«Ready whenever you are. »

The female vaporeon first used Water gun and shot down a purple fruit. It rolled on the sand and stopped at Ash's feet.

«Use it. Its skin exhales a perfume and is able to wash away pretty much anything. » she informed.

«Thanks. »

With a delicate smile, she used another Water gun, toward the sky this time, effectively creating the effect of a shower.

Ash began rubbing the fruit against Alexchu fur. The pichu protested, but this time, his complaints went unheard.

* * *

Genno landed successfully for once, much to his surprise.

He shrugged it off immediately though when his eyes fell on his old house. It was almost the same as when they left after Ash's transformation. It was weird to look at his place and wonder if he wanted to get back inside. Most likely, it could be dangerous. After all, who knows who could be inside right now. The most plausible answer was that a few members of Team Blast were in. The worst was that his father was in the house, but those were just negative thoughts. There was no way his father would return here while he was in command of Team Blast, right?

With apprehension, he changed. His body grew taller and he lost his bird attributes, becoming a full-fledged (at least in appearance) human. He looked at Ash's body for a second. It was deeply ironic that he was being able to change into his friend while he didn't want to when Ash deepest wish was the ability to do the same.

Though today, he was not so sure about that. There was one thing Genno was sure about. Alexchu was a pichu and Ash was partially human. What it meant was that if Ash could use a counteragent (assuming that thing was possible), his son would not. He was born a pichu and a counteragent would not have any effect on him. Selfishly, he was happy not to be in Ash's situation. If only…

He slapped himself. There was a time for whimpering and that time had been fully used up weeks ago.

«Genno Avery. » he said to the door.

The system recognized the password and opened. He always thought it was a stupid password, anybody could say it with chance if they wanted to find him. Bizarrely, his father thought it was a great idea. At first, Genno thought of it as a token of affection. Nowadays… he didn't. It was probably to see the look on people's face when they thought it was a vocal recognition system.

Genno sighted angrily as he entered his previous home. His father was sending so many signals in the past! That was just a stroke to his ego, seeming more talented that he was. Oh, he was talented in poke-genetics, but not much elsewhere.

Still, he forced himself to calm down and be cautious. If there was any member, they could easily hear the door open as long as they were on the first floor. Upstairs though…

Genno felt like hitting himself. There was no reason to be relieved if they were upstairs, his room was on the second floor!

As silently as he could, he walked toward the stairs and his room.

Luckily for him, not a single noise came out of the wooden stairs. Feeling his heartbeat raising, he pinched himself not to run to his room and lock himself in.

Genno reached it without incident and closed the door. He was relaxing a little. Maybe there weren't members in here after all.

He opened his closet and reached for his purse. He forgot it when they left the first time, mostly because he had borrowed his father's credit cards. Unfortunately, since he saw his father taking over Team Blast, he stopped using it. He was sure he wasn't really important to Team Blast before, so they wouldn't really look for whoever was using Jonathan's cards. Today, he was totally sure that it would be a BIG mistake. So he began using the little paper money he had and used it all up.

He sighted in relief when he saw that it was untouched and that his savings were inside. They could last a little longer, especially with the fruits and berries in Cerulean's Forest.

He couldn't help but be caught up by nostalgia as he looked around his room.

Genno was uneasy in front of the posters in his room. There were famous poke-geneticists from a long time ago, notably the ones that invented the pokeballs. There were also the ones from this decade… including his father.

He was there, smiling at him through the paper. He was holding the trophy he won with Stan Folklow in the university contest.

Sleeping here must have happened a century ago. So many things had happened to him. Some happy, like befriending Ash and Pikachu, some sad, like losing everything he had here, some inducing despair, like the massive children kidnappings.

Genno jumped in surprised. He had heard voices!

«… no seriously, what kind of order is that: stay in my lab and make sure nothing happens. »

It sounded like two men.

«Well, those are strange, but it's like Marco taught us: obey, obey blindly if you must, and we'll be the richest. »

«Yeah… but I liked it a lot more when it was Marco that gave the orders. He was the one to save me, not that lunatic of a scientist. »

«Don't say that in Avery's house, you idiot! What if he has cameras or microphones? »

Genno was breathing heavily, much to his dismay. It was as if his body decided to betray him. A voice in a corner of his mind kept repeating him that they would definitely hear him breathe, that he would be found out.

Couldn't that corner of his mind shut up for a few minutes? He needed to think clearly. Right now, they only seemed to be talking in front of the lab. Hopefully, they wouldn't think of checking his room.

«Come on, the enemy entering my room for no reason, just as I am inside. » he thought. «What are the odds of that? »

«As good as getting turned into a ditto by criminals. » that pesky voice answered.

He seriously needed to stop talking to himself. He was much more pessimistic that way. He should go talk to Nidoking, that guy was having a simple view on things. It happened, it didn't happen or it happened but I don't care about it. No «it will probably happen and I'll be in for a world of pain. » with him.

When it became obvious that the two guys would just stand where they were, Genno sighted in relief. Now, onto the important part, how was he going to get out of his room?

On a more light hearted note, that inner voice said that if he had to seriously try to find a way to accomplish that, his life was crazy on so many levels it was not even funny.

Genno cursed as the thought gave him an urge to let out a nervous laugh.

Concentrated on that task, he did not hear one of the two guy declared that he was going to get something to drink in the kitchen.

* * *

At first, getting out of the house through his window seemed like a not too bad idea.

At first.

Now, it was just a bad idea. Genno overestimate his abilities. He thought that after flying in a few hundred meters in the sky he wouldn't be too intimidated by the height of the second floor. Big mistake. Without wings, he really felt the meters add up. He was trying to get a grip somewhere, but the walls of his house were almost perfectly smooth.

He fell.

Instinctively, he yelled. Mentally, his mind ran full speed to prevent him from hurting himself. As if whispered to him, he knew what to do.

He transformed. He morphed into the only creature he was able to without looking other than Ash. He turned into his natural body, a ditto.

His body didn't shatter like some might think. Instead, he bounced on the ground three or four times before stopping completely. He was feeling dizzy now. Forgetting the danger, he settled for a minute of rest before moving.

Genno quickly became uncomfortable about himself. He inadvertently opened his ditto eyes and regretted it. It was worse than being stuck in a swirling whirlpool of rainbows. He immediately decided to morph back in Ash's body.

«No more time to lose… I should really get out of here now. »

As he stood up, he heard something that froze his blood in his veins.

«Freeze or I'll shoot you! »

Genno's face was drained of blood in the horror of realization. It was impossible to be mistaken on the identity of that voice's owner.

One of the two men from Team Blast was aiming at him with a gun.

Genno felt his heartbeat get much faster. «Think, Genno, think! You can't be caught now! What can you do to escape? » he told himself.

«Greg, get down here! I found an intruder! » the member shouted.

Genno was beginning to panic.

«WHY CAN'T I THINK OF ANYTHING? »

The other member joined them. He was taller than the guy with the weapon and looked a lot more muscular.

The biggest of the two looked pensive.

«Hey Dan, isn't that the kid we're… ? »

«I'm sure he is. Ash Ketchum, or more likely, the new boss's son. That should give us a nice promotion, don't you think? »

They got closer, the smaller guy still aiming at him.

«Anything? » he asked his extremely stimulated mind. «Not yet! If you think it's easy to think with a gun aimed at you…» «News flash: I KNOW HOW IT FEELS! »

«Don't be so nervous, kid. I won't shoot if you don't try anything stupid. » the member assured.

Genno would have said something like: «Yeah, like I'll believe you! », but he had the feeling it would be a big mistake.

The two of them were less than three meter away from him. Of course, it was at the last second that he got an idea.

Greg was about to restrain him when Genno's face betrayed utter shock.

Both members stared, surprised.

The young man was looking behind them.

«Greg, keep an eye on him! I'll check behind us. »

Genno bit his lip. Since when were henchmen allowed to know how to react to that trick?

Dan turned around quickly, eying the whole courtyard, verifying the forest and the sky: nothing. Dan smiled to himself; the kid had tried a desperate bluff. Too bad they were two against one.

The member turned and made a pretty good imitation of Genno's face from seconds ago.

There were two Greg rolling on the ground.

The kid got him.

«Both of you freeze! » Dan yelled while pointing his gun toward the fighting Gregs.

The two men were dumfounded to discover that he seemed serious enough to pull the trigger. They both distanced themselves from each other. It was wise to obey a member of Team Blast threatening you with a gun, even if it was someone you knew.

«Now, I'll ask each of you to whisper my member number in my ear. Greg, get ready to act as soon as I discover which one is the kid. »

He then pointed the one on his left.

«You, come here and tell me the number. You should guess what would happen if you can't. » he added as a clear threat.

The chosen Greg approached a suspicious Dan. All three men in red and black uniforms were nervous. This was the moment of truth.

The Greg leaned and his mouth got close enough to Dan's ear for him to whisper.

At that moment, Greg took a deep breath.

He punched Dan in the face.

As the smaller member fell on his back from the sheer strength of the hit, Genno ran toward the forest as fast as he could. Fortunately for him, the member called Greg was athletic and ran fast which gave Genno a great advantage in a race. Unfortunately for him, the guy with that same body and had actually worked to get to that level of physical ability was chasing him.

«If I can get into the woods, I'll be able to hide or I'll see a pokemon. Either way, I'll be safe there! » he mentally said with Greg running after him.

Dan swore. That damn kid! He ignored his bleeding nose and grabbed his gun.

Genno saw the shadows of the trees getting closer. He was going to make it. Just a few meters…

The pain came atrociously fast. Without knowing, he had been shot in the left arm. Either Dan was a sniper or Genno was out of luck… Though, to be fair, he could have been hit in the legs or the chest.

Not even realizing how, the teenager continued to run. The torture was getting stronger and stronger with each move.

He bumped into a tree and fell to the ground with the momentum. He felt the leaves of the bushes he tripped into bruised his face. At this point, he didn't really care.

That wound… if it was not treated fast enough, the blood lost might actually…

It didn't matter if he thought about that he decided. He had tripped during a chase, Greg was sure to lift him in seconds and bring him back in his house until his father decided what to do with him.

Genno had no way to know it, but Greg had lost sight of him. The man had been too efficient. He realized that Dan would recover, so he made sure not to run in a way to would prevent him from shooting. Greg had run for a few seconds to his left and instinctively slowed down when he heard the astounding noise from the gunshot. Now, he had been too far away to see Genno fell and lost sight of him.

The teenager tried his hardest not to sob. Something was wrong; he should have been founded already. That was the rational part of his mind. The rest of it was just asking repeatedly for the pain to disappear.

He curled on himself, wanting to make himself smaller, to get some comfort from that childish position. As he wished for being smaller, he subconsciously returned to his natural ditto body.

His dark green color served him well, Greg walked past him and did not see him.

Genno realized instantly that his prayer had been answered. The pain had disappeared. His ditto body was in a perfect shape.


	27. Choice

**Poke-genetics: choice**

«How did it go? » Pikachu asked as he took the purchases Genno had come back with.

«… it could have been better… » Genno answered. «… much better… »

«What happened? » he inquired, looking at his friend.

«… I need to tell you something… Is Ash around? »

«I think he's taking care of Alexchu. I can look for him, just wait. » he said as he began running.

«No! » Genno shouted.

Startled, Pikachu stopped. He looked at his friend with confused eyes. Why was he acting like he didn't want Ash to know about whatever happened?

«Please… Pikachu, I need to speak to you alone. »

Both pikachus stared at the other.

«…what happened, Genno? »

Genno sighted. It had been traumatic enough to live it. Just thinking about the wound from the bullet made him shiver.

«I… was attacked by Team Blast's member. »

«What? » exclaimed an incredulous Pikachu.

«It happened when I went to my house to get some money. There were two members guarding my father's lab. They recognized me, well, they recognized Ash's face, but you get the idea. »

«What happened after they saw you? »

«I… one of them threatened me with a gun. When the other went to tie me up, I distracted one of them and transformed into the other. After that, I tried to escape, but one of them shot me through the left arm. »

Pikachu's eyes were much rounder now.

«I'm okay now. It seems that when I change into a ditto, physical wounds disappear. It makes sense. After all, if I copy another pokemon, my whole body is transformed. There would be no reason for my transformation to keep the wounds. » Genno explained with cynical sadness.

His friend was skeptical. Was transformation that convenient of a move? To be fair though, restraining conditions had to be met for it to work in the first place.

Pikachu then asked the thing that bothered him.

«How did they know what Ash looks like? »

Genno lost his cynicism and tried to hide his shame.

«… I… I haven't been honest with you and Ash. »

«What do you mean by that? »

«When you asked me why it took me so long to get back with the supplies the other day, I lied to you. »

He knew it would come to this sooner or later, so why was he unable to face Pikachu? He didn't dare look at his friend expression. Instead, he held his forehead in his paws.

«I didn't get lost. I got chased. »

«By Team Blast? » Pikachu couldn't refrain from asking.

«By… civilians. »

Baffled, Pikachu could only say:

«What? »

«It seems that my father wants to see me again. Only, he promised to release the children of whoever brought me, you and Ash to him. »

Pikachu tried to grasp the implication of that statement.

«I didn't tell you because of Alex's coming birth. I thought Ash should focus on his son… and leave the fighting to us. »

«But we can't let him out of this! He has as much reasons as us to fight! » Pikachu protested.

«He also has a lot more responsibilities than the both of us combine. »

«This is… not right… » he whispered.

«I… Pikachu… I think that the plan we thought of in Viridian City's pokemon center should not include Ash. »

«Genno! »

«I don't really want to do that, but I'd never forgive myself if something happens to Ash while he could have been safe, would you? »

Instead of comprehension, Genno saw anger in his friend eyes.

«I will not leave Ash out of something he has the right to fight in! » Pikachu shouted.

Genno had the decency not to look at him directly.

«I… need to check on something before we can actually try anything… I'll be back by sunset… I think… please be ready then. » he added weakly.

Pikachu could not believe his ears. It was exactly like he had already decided.

Disgusted, Pikachu turned around and ran.

How could Genno think like that? It was so unfair to Ash!

Genno looked desperately at his friend running away from him. He sighted sadly and rubbed his hair in an attempt to restrain from yelling his frustration. He did not want to do this. Did Pikachu really taught he did something like that because he wanted to get a break from Ash or something?

Copping with the sadness, he looked for a flying type he could transform into.

* * *

Ash was amazed by the quantity of time Alexchu could spend sleeping peacefully without flinching. Of course, being a newborn, his son had to wake up for seemingly no reason and cry for his father once in a while. Most of the time, Ash waited a minute to come. This was one of the advices he received from the many mothers around here. This one was actually useful. By doing that, he would not be enslaved to his son's cry but would still comfort him.

Ash was always feeling like going crazy when he looked at Alex. He could barely believe it. He was a father. It was just too special of a feeling to disappear in a matter of days… He actually suspected it would never really fade.

A shadow appeared on the ground, next to Alexchu. Immediately, he shot a look at the sky.

It was only a venomoth.

Ash relaxed as fast as he tensed… but tensed again.

The venomoth accidentally knock a fruit down.

Ash instantly jumped over his son.

The pikachu only saw a red fruit becoming bigger and bigger before it reached him. When it made contact with his face, it exploded and its juice dispersed in a fiery red mist.

Ash began coughing. Mew! That fruit smelled so strong and he had its juice all over his face! The smell attacked his sensitive nose and he felt dizzy. He remembered throwing one of those at Pikachu before. How did his friend managed to tolerate that?

Under him, Alex was waking up, bothered by the strong smelled.

«Chuuuu! » the pichu complained.

Ash felt like hitting his forehead.

«Pikachu, stop hiding please. » he said loud enough to be heard from a few meters away.

«How did you know I was here? » his friend asked.

«Your scent… and I heard you whisper «Ash» earlier. » Ash explained with a hint of triumph.

«You really came a long way at using your senses. » Pikachu remarked.

«Hey, I've had time to practice. » Ash said with a grin. «Anyway, can you look after Alex for a few minutes? I need to wash my face. Apparently, it's too strong for Alex. »

«Of course. »

«Alex, stay with your uncle. I'll be back soon. » Ash ordered to his son.

With that, Ash ran to the beaches with the firm intention to jump in the lake.

Alone with Alexchu, Pikachu sighted. How could he explain to Ash what Genno wanted him to do?

He was distracted from those depressing thoughts when he heard Alex sniffing the air. The baby pokemon sneezed at the remnant of the fruit's odor.

That made Pikachu chuckled. He picked up the pichu, which sniffed him. He was still not old enough to differentiate his father from him just with one look. When he recognized the scent of his «uncle», Alexchu smiled.

«Chu. » he said happily.

Pikachu smiled back and fondled his hair. It was a bit like Ash's, only a little more spiky.

«So, do you like this place, Alexchu? »

«Chu. » he answered with a serious look.

«Your father's a bit naive, but he's a really nice person. You're lucky, you know? »

As if he understood, Alexchu said cheerfully:

«Chu! »

The baby's good mood affected Pikachu. There was nothing like the sincere smile of a kid to cheer you up.

* * *

Genno was trying not to feel guilty. He had good reasons to be. What Pikachu said was one hundred percent true. He was trying to force a choice on Ash even if he did not have the right to. Ultimately, the decision was Ash's, neither his nor Pikachu's. It was just that whenever he thought about leaving a kid alone while his father was fighting a life-threatening battle... he was feeling burning anger devouring his insides.

He stopped thinking like that as he reached his destination: Giovanni's mansion.

He landed on the roof of the mansion. After a quick look around him, he morphed back into Ash. This time, he doubt there would be anyone here, not after what the citizens of Viridian City had done to this place in their fury. He just hoped the building was not damaged enough to collapse.

Slowly, he opened the door leading to the lower levels.

It was dark. Anything remotely technologic had been thoroughly trashed and broken in pieces. This was not good. They needed this place to be relatively intact, otherwise it would be useless to them.

Apprehensively, he walked in the dark, going downstairs. He gulped too loudly to his own taste. It was not the time to trip and fell downstairs, that would be a ridiculously stupid way to lose against Team Blast. He concentrated a second and did what he was able to no matter what form he was taking. Genno used his ditto eyes.

He felt dizzy. It was not as bad in the dark since the light itself was not reaching this place, but it was still freaky. At least, he could feel where the stairs were.

As he explored the abandoned mansion, Genno questioned himself.

This place had been a lair of criminals in its own way. Was what he was looking for here? Probably, but the question was whether it had been destroyed or not.

The one thing he was really worried about was the consequences. Truth to be told, he hesitated to act. If what they were planning failed, they'd truly be doomed and they'd bring innocents down with them.

Genno felt like laughing a lifeless laugh. He was not pessimistic for once; it was just a simple truth.

The problem was that succeeding would be morally challenging too. If he was not mistaken, his father would…

The thought made him shiver. It was bad to let it happen, but they had no choice. Team Blast was too strong and was aiming for even greater strength.

He stopped using his ditto eyes. He no longer needed them. This part of the mansion had a few broken windows. It was enough to let some light filter the place and bring shape to the darkness.

He stopped to examine the situation clearly. What he was looking for was probably hidden. Now, how was he supposed to find it? Most likely, it wouldn't be in a high place. It wouldn't be fit for the kind of experiments they conducted. Besides, Team Rocket's laboratory would probably be hidden underground.

* * *

Ash was still a little bit wet and crystal-clear water was dripping from his fur. It had felt quite refreshing to dive in the lake. He even played with the vaporeons and the goldeens for a few minutes before going out. When he was done with his «bath», Ash got out of the lake and headed toward the place he left Pikachu and Alex.

It didn't take long.

He saw Pikachu waiting patiently for his return next to a sleeping Alex. At the tree's foot, there were another bag of things Genno bought for them. When he reached his friend, Ash asked:

«He was not too hard on you? »

«Ash, he's days old. He's spending his days sleeping and sometimes waking up to eat. There's no way he would be hard on anyone. » Pikachu said.

«Well, being still for too long is not everyone's style, is it? » Ash added with a smile.

Pikachu frowned. He knew Ash well enough to know that this smile was a fake.

«Ash… » he simply said.

«What? » the teen inquired, a bit too fast to be genuine.

«Are you going to continue fighting Team Blast with me and Genno? » Pikachu asked, deadly serious.

«Don't be silly. » Ash replied. «Isn't it obvious? »

But Pikachu noticed how hard Ash was clutching his fists.

* * *

He entered the room cautiously.

Against all odds, the lab was perfectly normal. He wasn't sure how to react. It was perfectly stupid of him considering he knew how labs were built and supposed to work - he had lived half his life in one - but he couldn't help it. The most childish part of his mind assumed that a criminal lab had to at least look different. Then again he had been inside Team Blast's lab and he hoped never to return there, especially not as a test subject.

Genno looked at the lab. Now that he had turned the light on, it was filled with dim white light. Apparently, the scientist liked that color, as ironic as it could get, and the whole lab was as white and stainless as possible. It seemed that he was the first to enter this room since the downfall of Team Rocket.

The dust on the many counters and on the few shelters confirmed his guess.

«Hum… everything looks usable, even if there is not a lot of material. This much can be arranged. »

It was then that his eyes caught something interesting. There were a few computers in the lab.

«I wonder if… » he began as he reached for the machines.

In a second, he opened one and waited for it to start working. If the lights were working, the computers had no reason not to work.

He was right.

«Okay, now how did they classify their data? » Genno wondered.

It was absurdly simple. Genno just check for the first folder he saw and it was there, classified by experiments. It was completely careless of them. Then again, it was on a computer in a hidden lab in the headquarters of a criminal organization that, a year ago, was still fairly feared.

«Let's see… » he muttered, alone in front of the digitalized information. « Operation E? What is that? »

He felt the urge to open the file. It would be useless now that Team Rocket was gone but...

«Stupid curiosity. » he told himself as he double clicked on the icon.

The file opened and revealed a large quantity of text. On the first lines were the assigned members on the different groups, then came the detailed operation. It was a «retrieval» mission, an euphemism for another robbery or pillage. Members were to be sent to… Pallet Town!

«Wait… this rings a bell… » he began.

«Marco! That was his goal! He wanted to prevent Team Rocket from getting to Pallet Town! » he yelled as his memory gave him the answer.

Genno suddenly went silent.

«But… why? This only looks like an ordinary criminal act for them. Why is this one so important that Marco had to create Team Blast? »

Genno went on in his reading. He was terribly disappointed. The thing they wanted to get was not mentioned nor were its uses, except for the fact that it was a unique item, rumored to be somewhere in Pallet Town or in its surroundings.

He sighted his deception and was about to say something when he gasped in shock. The date! The operation had already been launched! Precisely the day of Marco's major retaliation against Kanto! The leader of Team Blast had planned to stop Team Rocket, but he had been a tad too late. On the day of the kidnappings, Team Rocket had been defeated in the space of an hour by angry citizens everywhere in Kanto. This had been an incredible feat. Worried parents succeeded in doing what police had lacked the strength to do in an hour. There was a catch though.

There were still some Team Rocket members in Kanto! They were probably hiding now that a major part of the organization had been crushed. He had to tell the others!

* * *

«Ash… » Pikachu said sadly. « …do you want to fight? »

«Want? Of course, I WANT to fight, but I can't. Not when Alex needs me. I can't leave him like that and don't even think of suggesting to bring him with us. »

What could Pikachu say to that? He didn't want to leave his best friend out of something that concerned him, but Ash himself admitted he had to stay behind, even if it was at the cost of a colossal effort.

Ash gritted his teeth. He didn't want to let Genno and Pikachu fight alone, but he couldn't leave Alex alone. The choice had already been made for him the second he gave in to the female pikachu's appeal.

«Pikachu, I'm just trying to be mature. I can't be a child anymore. I have to be an adult. It's impossible for me to act like I always did now. I can't butt in the first fight I see, Alex's counting on me. I failed to protect his mother; I must not fail to protect him. »

Pikachu listened to his sadness. He had no idea how to react. Had Genno been right all along? Should Ash just let them handle the fight from now on? But it was just so…

«You promised. » Pikachu said.

«I did. » Ash whispered.

«You promised to save his mother. » Pikachu completed.

Ash punched the nearest tree. Being a pikachu made it a little harder, but he had to take out his frustration.

«What am I supposed to do? I can't stay here to be with him and save his mother at the same time! » Ash growled.

«Ash, when Alex will be old enough to walk, you'll be able to leave him in someone's care. » Pikachu declared softly.

«But I don't want to leave him! »

«Not for long periods of time, just long enough for us to act against Team Blast. Alex will only need you constantly at his side for a short period of time. »

Ash went silent. Was it truly possible? Did he have the chance to take part in the conflict while fulfilling his responsibilities?

«Chuuu… » Alex called in his sleep.

With a small smile, Ash answered his son's call.

* * *

Pikachu was looking at the red sun disappearing behind the horizon. Genno had asked him to be ready for sunset. He was.

A shadow appeared in Pikachu's vision. It was far, but was getting closer and closer by the minutes. Soon enough, the mouse pokemon could recognize the shape of a pidgeot.

The flying type landed with some difficulty. Apparently, Genno was not used to landing with a barrel in his claws.

«What is that thing? » Pikachu inquired.

«The barrel? Since there were new factors to consider, there's a new part to the plan. Hop on my back and I'll explain while we're on the way. »

Pikachu followed Genno's instructions to the letter.

«Ready? » Genno asked.

«Yes. »

With one large movement, Genno spread his wings and took off. Their destination was Team Blast's headquarters.


	28. Weaken

**Poke-genetics: Weaken **

Pikachu stared at the vent. He needed to get inside the hideout. The best way was to use the ventilation system, again. Without losing time, he got inside. He had an hour to accomplish his part of the mission. After that...

Let's just say it would be dangerous, not to mention it may cause problems for the other part of the plan.

Pikachu went down the vent, hoping everything would go smoothly.

* * *

Genno was trying to calm down. The key was to be fast enough so that the two parts would combine for a maximum effect. If he couldn't coordinate well enough, Team Blast would be able to recover and realize their objectives. It was crucial that they didn't understand until it was too late.

He could barely see in front of him. It was even darker than he thought it would be, but, if the digletts he asked were right, he'd find what he hoped.

Behind him, a gigantic shadow was moving silently, curious about that human that dared entered its den.

* * *

Pikachu crawled through the ventilation system. He was focusing on the upcoming task. He had to do it, but somewhere in his mind, there was unease. He slapped himself. It was necessary. He agreed to do it and they deserved it.

The mouse pokemon arrived at the grill he was looking for. Just like they thought, the dormitory was full at this time of the day. It seemed that with its recent strike of success, the members were less occupied than before and could actually rest.

Though it was not ordinary members that Pikachu was staring at.

He gulped loudly. Pikachu looked at the face of the sleeping men and women under him.

«Okay, this is it. You've got to do this. Otherwise, all you planned with Genno and Ash will be for nothing. » he told himself.

The persons under him were peaceful in their sleep. For a second, his determination was weakened.

For a second.

He also saw the image of Ash, as a pikachu, struggling with himself, forced to stay behind, take care of his son while he also wanted to protect his family and his friends. Pikachu felt himself be overwhelmed by the anger. His best friend was suffering because of them! Why was he hesitating?

Pikachu charged his electricity in his cheek and unleashed the most powerful electric attack he could muster.

* * *

Pikachu restrained from throwing up. He could not suppress the image of what he had done. He did what he had to, for Kanto and for his friends…

He tried to stay focused on his next task. Pikachu could not afford to lose time. He had to move to his next target. It would be much easier to accomplish, but it would also ends up being more dangerous and he would have to be prepared to escape as fast as he could as soon as it was done.

He walked through the vents as quietly as possible. It was time for most people to sleep, but it would be stupid not to be cautious. Some humans were said to be wake up easily. Having lived with Ash for a long time, he had doubts but he listened to reason and was cautious.

He heard a few voices ahead. He bit his lips. He hoped he would not have to reproduce his previous behavior. His objective this time was material, but if there were members in his way…

Pikachu arrived to the grill of the computer room.

There were a few members staying up late, operating the computers and coordinating some members for another mission.

Pikachu took a deep breath.

He used thunder on the machines, frying their system and destroying all the data they were holding.

Pikachu hastily ran through the ventilation system. The dormitory was a closed room with enough isolation to permit uninterrupted rest. In case of emergency, an alarm would go off and inform whoever was sleeping at that time of the problem. It was fairly realistic to assume that no one had realized he shocked the members. It was stupid to believe that not even one member had realized that he destroyed every single computer they had. Besides, the few members in the computer lab were probably just shocked. He couldn't aim at them properly.

Pikachu was running toward the end of the ventilation system where he could climb toward freedom.

* * *

Genno was trying to stay still. He had it before his very eyes: the pokemon he was looking for.

He tried not to look too afraid. It was another one of those times when he told himself that he'd be okay when planning but turned out to be a bit harder to do in person. He had not realized it was behind him before, so when he heard the loud cry, he paralyzed under the surprise.

«Come on, you've been able to escape a criminal with a gun, just use Transform, you idiot! »

The huge creature stop looking at the small human and decided it was annoying. With on big swoop, it attempted to attack him with its tail.

Genno saw the pokemon move and almost froze when he realized that its tail was going toward him at a dreadful speed. He snapped out of it just in time.

The pokemon was shocked when it saw the human glow and suddenly expand. It was even more surprised when another member of its kind stared at him angrily.

* * *

Pikachu was catching his breath. He had run full speed until he reached this place. It was as much because of the plan as the fear of being caught.

Pikachu was waiting against the barrel Genno had brought in his claws. Pikachu was to open it as soon as Genno was done. It was really ingenious of him, but it was also dangerous. From the second Pikachu would open it, he'd have to fight for every minutes he'd stay around.

Mentally, he prepared himself. He had to focus on all his senses to make sure there wouldn't be a problem. He had an enormous responsibility to uphold right now.

He waited for the signal with burning determination.

Soon enough, he felt the earth shake under him. Pikachu got himself ready, Genno was doing his part.

* * *

It was a weird sense that he now had. He could mentally see where everything underground was. It would make his work much easier. He could already «see» the shape of Team Blast's hideout.

His body was tossing aside the earth and the rocks, making him feel like he was swimming. Genno prepared himself. In a few seconds, he would make contact with the headquarters. It was time that someone broke the pedestal that Team Blast was resting on!

Genno focused his energy a little and used Harden. He braced himself for the impact.

Team Blast was not going to have a nice night of rest today!

In his glass box, a small pichu was trying to forget the horrors of the day by sleeping. It had work at first. He could see the image of his father, strong and proud, next to him, protecting him from all those horrible persons. Unfortunately for him, his dreams were slowly becoming corrupted, growing darker with each passing day. His father was appearing less and less often, leaving place to dozens of strange scientists with malicious grins.

As they surrounded him with syringes filled with toxins, he was woken up by an earthquake.

Confused, he looked around and realized in horror that he was still in his box. If the earthquake made the base collapsed…

He shivered.

The whole lab began shaking.

Half of one of its wall was send flying by a steelix.

The steel pokemon carefully eyed the laboratory before entering fully. The pokemon was huge: the biggest pokemon to live on land, mostly under the land though. With one gigantic swoop of its tail, it destroyed the pillars supporting the boxes.

Sebastian was free!

* * *

Genno did not stop to see the gratitude in the eyes of the pokemon he freed. Instead, he turned around and told them to follow him. Genno dived into the ground ago, this time aiming for the surface.

He felt the night breeze on his face when he erupted from the ground, shouting at the top of his lung:

«NOW, PIKACHU! »

His scream echoed as a terrifying roar over the forest.

And he disappeared into the ground again.

Genno had to make another move before escaping.

* * *

Alexchu was crying. He had woken up in the middle of the night and Ash was trying to comfort him.

«It's okay, Alex. Dad's here. Chhh… » the teenager whispered softly.

The pichu was hiding his face in his father's fur. He had heard a loud roar and was afraid.

«Don't cry. Dad will protect you. » he continued, stroking his son's head.

Alexchu still let out a terrified «chu» and clang harder to Ash.

«Genno, was it possible to sound more terrifying? » he thought angrily.

But somewhere in his mind, he was also worried.

They were there, fighting against Team Blast while he was staying behind. It was as hard as he thought it would be.

But his son was so afraid of that sound that he was crying.

How could he ever leave him alone?

He just hoped his friend would be alright. He remembered the moment they thought of that plan. Ash saw the scene very clearly.

Genno was explaining his idea while looking desperate at the same time.

«Team Blast is getting too powerful. It won't be long before they completely own this region… and I doubt they'll stop there. Right now, they've got the most powerful threat any criminal organization has ever obtained against Kanto. They're holding all the cards. We can't win if things stay this way. »

«Then what do you want us to do? » Pikachu asked.

«We steal their cards. » Genno replied.

* * *

Up until five minutes ago, he was just bored. Looking after the prisoners was always a boring task, no matter how important it was.

He really needed to stop wishing for more exciting duties.

It started when he felt the floor and the walls shake. It happened without a reason and continuously, like it was man-made. Then, he was almost thrown to the ground when Genno made contact with the lab.

«What was that? » he shouted.

He was not the only one to be afraid. The prisoners were all awake. They were all asking the same question: what was happening? Was it an earthquake?

The member looked in the corridor leading to the dining hall. The lasers were still in place. Apparently, the structure hadn't been so badly damaged that the electric system was not working.

He sighted. It was probably just an unexpected earthquake.

The floor began to shake again.

«Huh?»

Just as he shot a look in the corridor, it was blown away.

A steelix had head-butted the passage between the cells and the hall. Instead of a corridor, there was a hole. One enormous hole that went so deep inside the ground that he could not see the bottom.

He gulped. What was he supposed to do?

Another shockwave shook the room. This time, he hit his head on the wall and passed out.

* * *

Stan was not believing his eyes. A steelix had just destroyed the wall of the room and the sides of the cells. They were free.

With a meaningful look, the pokemon urged them to climb on its back.

«Everyone! Quick, climb on the steelix! It's here for us! » he relayed the pokemon's order.

As they all climbed on the steel pokemon's back, they realized with overflowing joy that they had been freed.

They disappeared inside the earth.


	29. Children

**Poke-genetics: children**

«Report. » he ordered to Captain Seriza.

«Yes, sir. The damages to the structure itself are not threatening to its cohesion, but they are expensive. The lab was trashed and the first cell room is completely out of function. The computer room is also out of service as all the machines had their system fried by a powerful electric current. We lost all the data they were holding. »

«Who is missing? » Jonathan Avery inquired.

«All the prisoners in said cell room, all the test subject in the laboratory at that time, which means half of them, and all the scientists except yourself were found in the dormitory, either unconscious or… permanently put to sleep. »

«I see… was there any witnesses? »

«A few members were working in the computer lab when it was destroyed and the guard in the prisoners' room said it was a steelix. »

Jonathan gritted his teeth. He felt an urge to murder raise inside him. There was only one person that would oppose him. How dare he? He knew of only one person with an electric type and a steelix… or the power to become one.

He turned to the two members accompanying the captain.

«Arrest Captain Seriza and put her in a cell immediately. »

The woman was utterly shocked.

«But… sir! »

«You were in charge of the men during their stay in the headquarters. It was your responsibility to mobilize them and strike back. You will suffer punishment to reflect on your mistakes. »

His harsh tone left no place for a reply.

«Also, arrest the members that were found unconscious in the computer room and the guard in the prisoners' room for their lack of proper retaliation. »

The captain didn't say a word, but she felt a single tear appear in the corner of her eyes as she remembered her previous boss.

When they went away with the poor woman, Jonathan heard a whining voice.

«Aw, that wasn't nice. Marco would always forgive mistakes due to extraordinary circumstances. »

«Well, I'm not Marco Blaze. That man was a fool to believe that trust would be enough to control a terrorist organization. Look at what happened to him. »

Janes looked at him with serious eyes.

«He was not a fool. He didn't put any trust in me. He believed I was competent and that as long as I was satisfied, I would follow him, which I did. »

Jonathan actually laughed.

«If I did not know you, I would say that you regret backstabbing him. »

A horrible smile took place on Janes's lips.

«Of course I don't. It was so fun to see the shock on his face. Plus, Giovanni's expression when I knocked him out wasn't half-bad either. »

The scientist looked at her with a cold expression.

«Don't try it on me, Janes. I'll see it coming and you'd pay for it. »

Jonathan was surprised by the aura of fear the woman let out. With another sly smile, she just said:

«Oh, do you really think you have the power to do that? Remember, I was the one that gave you Team Blast. Are you sure they'd follow you over me? »

Janes was equally surprised when Jonathan didn't back down. Instead, he seemed more imposing and authoritative.

«I do. Just like you said, you gave me Team Blast. Its ownership is no longer yours. If you wanted to be in command, you should have said so from the beginning. Now, it's too late. » Jonathan ranted without flinching.

Externally, she submitted and bowed slightly. On the inside, she kept her sly smug to herself. «Such an interesting man. » she thought. She hoped he'd stay that way, otherwise… he'd know how wrong he could be about «Power».

* * *

Stan felt a sudden change of temperature when they emerged to the surface.

The steelix had made sure the transition wouldn't be too violent by going out slowly. It didn't work out too well, but the intent was enough to please the scientists.

Stan looked around. They were still in the forest, but he was sure that they were very far from Team Blast's hideout.

He didn't really have the time to elaborate since the huge pokemon urged them to get down.

«Hum… that steelix looks… could he be…? » wondered Stan.

His questions were answered immediately. The pokemon glowed for a minute and then shrank to a more reasonable size. Under the eyes of five stunned and one triumphant poke-geneticists, Genno turned into Ash.

«I knew it! You acted too concerned when you gave me the researches! » Stan declared.

Seeing the dismay on Genno's face, the scientist lost his enthusiasm.

«What happened to you, Ash? » he asked in concern.

Genno sighted.

«First, I'm not Ash Ketchum, I just copied his appearance. Second, you should have a pretty good idea of what could have happened. »

«If you're not Ash, who are you? » Stan questioned.

«You know my father. He's probably enraged that I freed you. After all, he needed other scientist to assist him. »

They gasped.

«You're… Genno? »

«Yup, in genetically modified flesh and blood. » Genno replied with irony and a hidden pride.

He was surprised by the hug that caught him.

«It's been so long! » Stan said as he recalled the good old days. «The last time I saw you, you were five or six. Don't you remember? »

Genno blushed deeply. He forgot most of that period of his life, but he did remember a little when his father's friend was visiting. Genno remembered the joy he was feeling whenever his father's clumsy friend was coming for a visit. There was a lot more actions these days and, for a kid like him, it had been a blessing.

«I would like to say you've changed a lot, but that would be an understatement. » Stan finished with an embarrassed grimace.

«Kind of. » Genno said with a surprisingly light heart.

«Okay, I suppose you know them by names but let me present the others to you. »

He turned toward the other scientists that were standing still, completely baffled by the previous statements. Stan put Genno in front of one of them. It was a woman with curled dark brown hair and a motherly face. Her brown eyes were hidden behind her glasses, but they didn't hide her good nature.

«Genno, this is Helen Futchi. She graduated the same year your father and I did. »

The woman shook hands with the impressed teenager.

«Enchanted. » she said nicely.

«You're the one working on the premises of evolution and genes modification, aren't you? »

«Yes, that's me. » she replied.

Stan then put him in front of a tall man with a severe expression. His black hair was cut short and he was standing straighter than a pole. He seemed to be uncomfortable with the son of Jonathan Avery.

«This is Robert Hainess. »

«Hum… you wrote an essay about evolutionary stones, didn't you? »

«I did. » the scientist said as he reluctantly took the hand Genno offered.

Stan presented him to the other three poke-geneticist: Martin Heiberg, a short man specialist in neurology and brain structure, Carly Pearldaughter, an imposing woman with short black hair that discovered the genes responsible for the natural evolution and Wilfred Sturvan , a man with long blond hair with exceptional knowledge in blood analysis.

Genno was trying to refrain from jumping like a little kid. He couldn't believe it! It was a dream coming true. He always wanted to meet great poke-geneticist like them.

It was deeply disturbing that it happened because he was fighting a criminal organization. Once more, Genno thought that Fate was a prankster like no other.

«Now that the presentations are done… » began Stan. « …how about you tell us where we are, Genno?»

«This is Cerulean forest. We need to get going. I've look for a secure place to hide for now and I found one. »

«May I ask what this place is? » Stan wondered.

«…it's Team Rocket's previous headquarters. They shouldn't look for us there. »

Just like Genno was about to show them the way, Robert interrupted.

«Wait! »

They all stopped.

«May I ask you something? »

«Yes… » Genno answered slowly.

«Why did you save us? »

«You're unhappy? » Genno said while raising an eyebrow.

«No, but I'm doubtful. Are you really opposing your father? »

Genno received the critique without flinching. Stan, on the other hand, turned angrily at the man.

«Hey, watch what you're saying! Genno saved us! »

«My question is more complex than that, Stan. I want to know why he saved us and not the kids if he was opposed to his father. Surely it would have been more efficient to free the hostages...»

Genno looked angry for a second, but that emotion vanished.

«…you don't understand what strategic thinking is. » he stated plainly. «I did something that was much more decisive. Think for a second. What will happen if I free the kids? »

«Team Blast won't have any hostages to press the citizens of Kanto. » answered Robert as if it was the most obvious fact.

«Wrong… they're going to kidnap more kids. »

An oppressive silence took place in the forest. The poke-geneticists were all looking at Genno with round eyes.

«Do you understand? Until they are definitely crushed, trying to free the children will only results in more children suffering. » Genno said as he turned his back on them.

«But… Genno… the ones that are already in Team Blast's hands… » Stan tried to say.

He didn't even try to finish. He had noticed the somersaults of Genno's shoulders. He was crying.

* * *

«Dear viewers! This is terrible! Team Blast's new leader, Jonathan Avery, is furious. His headquarters were attacked a few hours ago by the wanted trainer Ash Ketchum. He sent another video which we will show immediately. » said the nervous reporter.

«Hello, citizens of Kanto. »

Jonathan's face had appeared on the television all over the region. The threat in his greeting was enough to make most people shiver.

«I am disappointed. Even with a reward as generous as the one I offered, you did not bring me Ash Ketchum and his pokemon. Even worse, you allowed him to attack my hideout and let him escape with some scientists I was keeping prisoners. » he said with a discouraged tone.

His voice became much harsher.

«You shall pay for your incompetence. » he states.

It was as scary as a death sentence.

«Half of them. »

Horror was spreading like wildfire. It had touched the parents in Kanto everywhere. Now, it was about to swallow the whole region.

«This is how many children will suffer for your mistakes. »

Jonathan snapped a finger.

«Observe. »

The screen showed closed room containing dozens of kids. The few that had understood what was going to happen were calling for their parents.

It started.

From the walls, gas slowly crept into the room. It moved slowly, leaving the kids the time to regroup in the middle of the room, still hoping for a miracle.

It was pointless.

The gas wasn't yellow this time. It wasn't really defined by one color. There were dozens of clouds of different color. They were crawling, moving horribly slowly toward the center of the room, attempting to fill it.

The kids began coughing.

The parents began crying.

Just like Sebastian, the children felt dizzy. Some were staggering, others were already on their knees, feeling the structure of their body changing.

The gas filled the room more and more until the cameras were not recording anything except multicolored gas.

After a minute of anxiousness like no other, the parents could see what had happened to their children.

A cruel laugh echoed behind the screen as many realized what had still escaped the perception of some.

They were all sorts of different pokemon in the room.

The television showed the face of a still angry Jonathan.

«That's right. It is impossible for you to tell what pokemon your children have become. I don't even know it myself. I'm putting Marco's previous threat to the next level. You won't wonder whether that pichu or that one is your lost child. You'll wonder whether that pokemon you saw the other day or the one in front of you is your child. And, by the way, I'm not making an empty threat. I've given the orders to the members to free all of them. »

Gregor Dexter once experienced what he thought of as «bottomless despair». He was not alone in this infernal pit of darkness now.

«Remember, I still hold half of the kidnapped children. If I'm not given the satisfaction of seeing Ash Ketchum in the hands of my subordinates soon, they'll suffer the same fate as those poor pokemon. »

The video switched again to the room where you could see that some members were lifting the weak or unconscious children and taking them away. Then, the camera showed 7 pictures. One of each of the free poke-geneticist and one of Ash.

«Bring them back. »

Jonathan's voice filled the watchers' mind with urgency.

«I'm waiting. »

* * *

«This is mad! » Martin protested.

Stan was trying to find an argument to defend Genno, but he couldn't find any. Something like that was what Jonathan would have chosen, except one thing: Genno was fully aware of how painful it was of a choice to be made and he was fully experimenting that suffering himself.

«Mad? » Genno asked. «Of course it is mad! » he replied, hatred in his voice.

He was still crying, but there was also a determination as burning as an inferno in his words.

«This whole conflict is madness incarnated! The police held hostage, the criminals in control of the region, them turning children into pokemon… since when was any of this was sane? »

His rant had reduced them to silence and killed their protests before they were born.

«I know too well what they'll feel like, but I can't think of anything else! It was impossible to save everyone now! I had no idea of where they were, how well they were guarded, what to do with them once they'd be rescued… and no matter if I succeeded or not, there would be more to save, harder to save every time, until they would be completely out of reach. »

Genno had fallen on his knee. He was looking down and his tears were flowing more than ever.

«Can't you understand? We have a war to win! It won't matter if we get a single victory if all is lost in the end! We… we… »

Genno's speech was cut by his sobs.

«Genno… » someone said softly.

A pair of arm surrounded him.

«It's alright. » Helen comforted. «No one's blaming you. »

When he saw that Robert was about to open his damn mouth, Stan punched him in the guts.

«She's right, Genno. We understand… even if we think it's a dangerous path you've taken. »

He managed to keep his emotions in check long enough to add something.

«I'm not abandoning all those kids. »

And Stan saw a sparkle of intelligence flash in the teenager's eyes, the same that he saw so many times in Jonathan's eyes when he had one of those ideas that won him so many poke-genetics contests.

* * *

Pikachu knocked the ratticate out with an iron tail.

«That's the twelfth ratticate I bring down. Where are they all coming from? » Pikachu asked himself.

Anyone else would have asked: why are they coming?

But Pikachu knew the answer to that question.

«Listen well, Pikachu. » Genno said in his Pidgeot form. «This barrel contains a newly developed powder that is akin to the attack called Sweet scent. »

Pikachu was listening with his ear fully raised to catch every detail of Genno's explanation.

«When you'll open it, the barrel will let out the perfume and every pokemon that smells it will gather. »

«This means… even the… »

«The wild pokemon too, exactly. You'll have to fight to stay next to that barrel, but it is crucial that you do. »

«Why? » asked Pikachu who was starting to get where his friend was going with that.

«Because I know exactly how my father will react. He'll understand that we're taking his means to experiment away and he'll respond by going overboard to prove that he was not driven into a corner. He'll use a lot of DNA samples. »

«But… Genno! This would mean… »

«I know, Pikachu. I can understand how painful it will be for them, but there's no other way. »

He paused for a second.

«This is why what you'll be doing is so crucial. With the barrel of Sweet scent powder, you're going to gather all the transformed children and bring them back on the island! »

Pikachu was breathing heavily. Behind him was the few pokemon that escaped the lab, but he could not bring them to safety until the kids were released.

There was a movement in the bushes and he jumped on his feet. Was it another enemy?

A small growlithe shyly got out of the vegetation to get inside the small clearing. It was clearly young. While trying to master his pounding heart, Pikachu asked:

«What is your name? »

The dog pokemon was startled to hear the mouse pokemon talked. It was almost paralyzed by fear but it answered nonetheless.

«My name's Jessica. »

A human name, yes! Genno's plan was working! With a reassuring smile, Pikachu said:

«Come here, Jessica. We'll wait for the other kids, then we'll go to safety. »


	30. Interviews

**Poke-genetics: interviews**

«Hum… Mister Dexter? The president of the Happy Snorlax has requested a meeting with you. Will you receive him? » the secretary asked through the phone.

Gregor sighted. What did that man want? Probably something about a project he needed the city's approval to put into motion. Couldn't he see that he had bigger problems that the development of a pokemon hotel company?

«Let him enter, Mandy. » he resigned.

«Right away, sir. » the woman replied.

«Who did you allow to visit you, Gregor? » Paul asked cautiously.

The traitor was standing behind him. The hateful man actually stayed at his service after the incident. Of course, he was only there to insure that the mayor couldn't make any move against Team Blast. Marco knew he was not a man to leave alone.

«The president of the Happy Snorlax wanted to speak to me. »

The tired look on Paul's answered for him.

The door of the office was opened by an old man with a cane. The president of the Happy Snorlax was not looking as old as he actually was. He was full of life, even if he was always wearing a brown smoking , sunglasses and an adventurer hat.

«Hey there, Gregor! I figured you might want to take a rest from all those conflicts, hehe. » the old man said.

«Mister Baltimore, it may not be the best time to think about the construction of... » the mayor began with a tired voice.

«Nonsense! I'm building places to rest and what better time than now to get a good rest? Besides, there is no time so desperate that business may not be flourishing. Here, this is the detailed plan that you need to approve before I can go and make more resting places. »

Gregor sighted again and took the documents presented to him. There were a dozen of pages! Sometimes, he really hated his job.

As he went on with his reading, he noticed something odd. The content was what he expected, but the way it was written was… childish. Sometimes, the formulation wasn't even right.

«Mister Baltimore, this… » he began, wanting to explain it was too faulty to be submitted.

«Oh, Gregor! Don't tell me you have trouble reading that? Even I, with my diagonal eyes, can read it just fine. »

The mayor shot a look at the distracted Paul. This was a really boring interview and the man hoped to do something else.

Resigned, the mayor returned to his reading.

«This really makes no sense. This is the first time he submitted a thing like… » he thought.

Wait! Diagonal! He just followed the words that way, a sentence was formed. A dangerous sentence:

«If you are being watched, skip three lines and start reading there. If not, go to the next page. »

He forced himself not to tense. Quickly, he hazarded a look at Paul, then at Mister Baltimore. The first was waiting with his arms crossed that this thing was over and the old man was looking straight at him behind his sunglasses.

Gregor followed the instruction.

«Do as many of the following as you need. If there is a recorder in this room, talk about the number of Happy Snorlax already in the region. If there is a camera, mention the high number of clients visiting Happy Snorlax hotels. If there is a member in this room or nearby, look in its direction while talking about the complaints from the citizens tired of construction sites. Then, go to the next page»

Gregor's heart was beating furiously. He tried to sound severe enough for his performance to be realistic.

«Listen well, Mister Baltimore, the citizens of Viridian City are tired of the numerous construction sites and the noise they create for their neighborhood. » he stated while looking at Paul.

«You know, what they say: no pain, no gain. »

Pretending to be annoyed, he continued his reading.

«Read closely. I want to bring them down. I need your cooperation. And I need to tell you something. If you read this, switch to the fifth page with just a quick survey of the fourth. »

The mayor was trying not to let anything leak out of his attitude as he accomplished the instructions under the hidden eyes of the old man. He was feeling Mister Baltimore staring at him.

«Since I doubt you will just listen with the things at stakes, I'll tell you this: Sebastian is no longer in their hands. »

«WHAT? » the man shouted. «Is this a joke? »

The two other men were startled by this sudden outburst. The president of the Happy Snorlax immediately reacted.

«Now, now, Gregor! I know my proposition is audacious-after all Viridian City's park is famous – but you would not believe how much can be earned with this project. Now, since we are all gentlemen, I think you do not need to react this strongly. »

Translation: «Shut up, there is a member of Team Blast next to you, you idiot! »

«I suppose you're right. »

The mayor continued reading the unbelievable sentences.

«If you don't think this is all a joke, look unsure and distract whoever is listening to us. If it's impossible to distract (cameras), end our interview and say you'll call me back. »

This was it. Could he really believe a man as eccentric as that old man? If he was telling the truth he'd see his son again and he could crush those insolent fools. If it was a trap, he'd spell doom for his son.

He made his choice.

Even in the darkest hours, in endless abyss, it was still possible to believe.

«Paul, I'm unsure about this. Can you take a look at this part of his project? »

The traitor made an unsightly grin that was supposed to be a smile but leaned closer nonetheless.

«What part are you talki… »

He was cut mid-sentence by an undetectable noise. Without understanding, he fell on the desk, sleeping.

«What happened? » wondered the mayor… until he saw the small gun in the old man's hand.

«That's… a tranquilizer. » he muttered.

«A weapon used to calm wild pokemon in things like zoo. The effects are instantaneous on humans. It causes deep sleep and results in memory lost. The product was created by a friend I made recently. » the old man calmly explained.

It took a second for Gregor to swallow this new information. Then…

«Okay, explain yourself! Are you really the same Mister Baltimore that came here two months ago? »

The person that was pretending to be an old man sighted.

«I guess it's easy to see through my disguise. »

And with that, he glowed.

In a minute, he went from a lively old man to a nervous teenager, one that was searched all over Kanto.

«Ash Ketchum? » Gregor said, incredulous.

«No, I'm not Ash Ketchum, just like I'm not the owner of all those stupid Happy Snorlax. I'm someone that has been turned into a ditto by Team Blast. »

«Who are you? »

«Someone that wants to see Team Blast be dismantled, its members sent in prison and its leader crushed. »

«You're the spy that called me after the pokeblocks incidents! »

«I am. I'm just sorry things went this way. » Genno said sadly. «But I still intend to defeat them. They made their biggest mistakes when they let me escaped them twice. »

Gregor saw flames burn into that teen's eyes, flames that reminded him of himself.

«What did you mean when you said my son was no longer in Team Blast's hands? »

«A few days ago, I attacked Team Blast. This allowed many pokemon to escape their prison, including your son. »

The man felt his heart stop.

«My son… is in the wild. »

«Yes… but he's not alone. » Genno said softly.

«What do you mean? »

«Listen. I'm not the only one that has been turned into a pokemon. Your son and all the other children are with that other person. They will be perfectly safe where he is. Plus, there's something else. I freed the poke-geneticists that were capture by Team Blast. They worked on the product that turns humans into pokemon. They are trying to find an antidote. »

«Then… »

«There's still hope for your son and for all those children. »

The mayor looked at the teenager in front of him, or at least at the pokemon that looked like a teenager, and wondered. It wasn't the speech of an ordinary kid. Who was he and what happened to him?

«What do you want me to do? » Gregor asked.

Genno smiled. He had won an ally.

* * *

«Alex! » Ash shouted. «Don't climb that tree! It's dangerous! »

The little pichu had recently discovered how to walk and he was fully trying this fun new thing. He also noticed that those big trees could be climbed with his claws... at the great dismay of his father.

Of course, Alexchu slipped like every other time he tried.

Ash gasped in horror and jumped. Luckily, he caught his falling son at the end of paws and fell face first in the dirt.

Unbeknownst to his father's fear and anger, the pichu giggled loudly. It had been funny.

Ash didn't agree. He put his son on the ground and scolded him.

«Alex! It's the fifth time already! Stop scaring me like that! You could have been hurt! »

The baby got scared at the scary expression. He sobbed.

Seeing the tear forming in Alexchu's eyes, Ash felt his heart break. He added something quickly.

«Huh? Alex, don't cry for that. Dad was just scared for you. » the young father said as he cuddled his son.

Pikachu observed the scene from afar. His trainer and best friend was steadily understanding how to deal with his growing kid. Every time he saw them interact, he felt a pinch in his chest. That part of his instinct had left him alone for so long, yet it was growing as surely as Alexchu.

«You okay, kid? » a deep voice asked.

«Nidoking? » Pikachu jolted.

He really needed to stop getting so distracted that he was not using any of his senses.

«I'm fine... just a bit lonely. »

The elder pokemon laughed incredulously.

«Lonely? With all the kids you brought back with you? Tell me how you manage that! »

Pikachu tried to hide his embarrassment. He had followed Genno's plan to the letter, but his friend had forgotten to mention it to Nidoking. The result had been a confused explanation in the middle of the night with a sleepy, and somewhat irritable, elder.

«Let me tell you. A pokemon your age that brings back an egg or a new kid is pretty uncommon by itself, but a pokemon that brings back fifty different kids after one night is a once in a lifetime event. »

«We should have told you earlier… » Pikachu said as he wanted to apologize.

«No need for that. This island was created for this kind of thing in the first place. »

«But… you don't mind… knowing what they really are? » Pikachu inquired.

Pikachu had been forced to give away that «detail» to give an understandable explanation. From that moment on, Pikachu was always uneasy knowing the purpose of the island and Nidoking's task.

«Hey, if they are here, it's because the great star don't mind, so why should I? »

There it was again: Nidoking's simple truth. It was a great contrast with the humans' complicated plots.

«Why don't you go talk to your friend over there? I'm sure you could both use a little conversation. »

«Hum… actually, I was thinking of letting him have a moment with Alexchu. With all the kids running around, it's hard to have quality family-time. »

«If that's how you feel… » the nidoking whispered while shrugging it off.

Nidoking left Pikachu alone… or at least, he believed he did.

From behind a few bushes, a pichu with green cheeks went to him.

«Pikachu? Can I speak with you for a second? »

«Sebastian? »

Pikachu was taken by surprise and could only reply:

«Sure, why not? What is it? »

«I've heard you're going to visit the poke-geneticist in a week or so… » the pichu said.

«Yes, we are going as soon as Ash's son is old enough to travel with him. It's a low risk trip, since we do not engage into any activity against Team Blast and are going through the woods to a secret hiding place. Why do you ask? »

«It's just that… after I was freed from the box, I've felt… weird somehow. Do you think I could come with you? »

* * *

He was fulminating. The assault had been enraging by itself, but he now had to wait to continue his fascinating researches, not to mention the fact that his finest tests subjects had escaped… except for a few of them.

Jonathan was trying to vent his frustration one way or another. He had just punished a member that had brought bad news: he'd have to wait a week before the lab would be completely repaired.

He stormed into Marco's former office. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered to think that those fools could be competent.

«Oh my, you seem to be in a bad mood. »

«Don't try me today, Janes! »

«Try what? » she asked with an innocent smile.

«You know exactly what I mean. Know your place and be the subordinates I ask you to be! »

«Do you mean: stay silent and listen only to my orders? » she questioned in the same childish way.

«Yes! »

«Oh, that's too bad for you then. » she stated.

«What do you mean by that? » Jonathan asked, suddenly curious.

«Well, I can't say it if I must be just a good soldier like you ask… »

«Stop playing! »

«I'm not playing… » Janes said with a sly smile.

«Fine, forget what I just said. » he gave up, feeling that a killer headache would approach him if he continued to argue with the woman.

«In that case… be happy. As soon as the computer room is operational again, you'll know where your son is. »

The scientist had his eyes round with surprise.

«What? »

Janes got closer to Jonathan, walking in her feline manner. Her expression was that of a cat about to trap a mouse within its paws.

«I kept a little ace up my sleeves. Your precious son will be yours to capture in a week. »


	31. Genetic mistake

**Poke-genetics: Genetic mistake**

«Chuuu. » complained Alexchu.

«Quiet Alex, we're almost there. » Ash replied.

He jumped over a log, his son clinging to his shoulder. He was followed by Pikachu, who was carrying Sebastian and Genno's bag. The kid was embarrassed by the fact that he had to be carried, but he would not have been able to keep up their rhythm. Pikachu had assured him that he was not heavy enough to make a difference if he carried him, but still…

He was not happy being a burden after he had requested to follow them.

«Pikachu, can you smell Genno's scent? » Ash asked, a few meter ahead.

«If by his smell, you mean yours, then yes. We're on the right track, keep it up. »

* * *

Genno yawned. He was tired. He had gotten up early this morning to buy new chemicals product for Stan and the others, disguised of course. Apparently, the counteragent was much more hard to make than the DNA sample. It was logical somehow; the DNA sample had a natural equivalent produced by dittos. The counteragent, on the other hand, was something completely new and that they had to create out of thin air.

Stan had told him not to get desperate as he thought they were making some progress.

Genno only wanted to go to bed, but they still had a long day to go. Today, they'd try the theory that Helen had come up with and they needed Genno's cooperation. That was not going to help him be in a better mood. Most of the time, his help was giving his blood and his saliva, either as a human or as a ditto. It was necessary and he fully understood that, but he was looking forward to work with them. Apparently, he was only fit to be a data bank.

«Oh well, I guess I'm not ready yet. They did study for years… » he tried to convince himself. «Who am I kidding? I want to take part in those poke-genetics experiments! »

He paused for a second. Was that what his father thought when he decided to take over Team Blast?

He shrugged it off and opened the door of the lab.

All six poke-geneticist were actively discussing the theory Helen had presented.

«No, no, no, a pokemon's genes are not modified that way when it evolves through a catalyst.» argued Robert.

«And I'm telling you that regardless of whether this is true or not, it won't change a thing in the long run. We have to test my theory following that procedure. » replied Helen.

«…May I interrupt you? » Genno asked.

They all turned toward him. Helen and Stan were clearly happy to see him, while Robert wasn't. On the other hand, Carly, Martin and Wilfred didn't display any particular emotion, just formal greetings.

«You asked for those products and for another… sample… of my DNA. » Genno explained, a bit harshly on the DNA part.

«Sorry to ask that again, Genno, but it's essential that we have those while testing possible counteragents. » Stan apologized.

Genno just smiled weakly. He didn't want Stan to apologize when he was just complaining. Somehow, he wasn't comfortable with making Stan guilty.

«It's okay, just as long as you don't get addicted to it, I'll give you as much blood as you need. »

«In that case, we should proceed. » Wilfred stated.

The syringe was plunged into his veins once more. They were lucky he wasn't particularly afraid of syringes, otherwise, it would have been a really long week.

Genno opened his mouth as Carly used another tissue to collect his saliva.

He had to harden his mind not to flinch at the horrible taste invading his mouth.

«Okay, now, change into a ditto so we can take the other samples. » Carly ordered.

Just as he was about to comply, the door to the lab was opened. Genno jumped on his feet, prepared for the worst.

The best happened.

Four yellow mice entered the room… two of them a little out of breath.

«Ash, Pikachu! I didn't think you would come so soon! » the teenager exclaimed in joy.

«Hey, Genno! » they replied just as cheerfully.

«I've got your bag. » added Pikachu.

«Thanks Pikachu. Hi Alex, did you already forget me? » Genno said slowly to the baby pokemon.

«Chu. » the pichu replied with a smile.

«I'll take that as a no. » Genno smiled himself. «Hum… who are you supposed to be? Pikachu's little brother? »

«I'm Sebastian Dexter. »

«Oh… nice to meet you then. »

A light appeared in the pichu's eyes as he understood something.

«You can understand me! I can speak to people? » he exclaimed, incredulous.

At that statement, Genno had to sadly reply:

«No, you can't. Humans can't understand you. I'm a bit different as I'm not really human. I'm just a ditto. »

Sebastian felt his throat get tied up like a knot as the sadness strangled him. He had hoped… that he could still speak to his father.

«Don't worry. We're trying to find a way to turn everyone back to normal. »

Sebastian didn't add to the comment. He just stayed silent.

Ash decided to change the subject.

«Anyway, we could leave earlier than we thought because Alex is an early bloomer. He's growing faster than Pikachu assumed. Isn't he amazing? » he explained with starry eyes.

Genno resisted the urge to laugh. He didn't think Ash would be the kind of parent to be amazed at everything his child does. It seems like he was wrong.

«Yes, he is definitely more special than every other pichu that ever existed. » he stated plainly.

While Pikachu hated him for making him laugh while carrying both Sebastian and his bag, Ash didn't seem to pick up the irony.

«I know. » he answered, deadly serious, as he put Alexchu on the ground.

Stan was wondering what was so funny that Genno and Pikachu were both laughing silently while the second pikachu was looking so serious.

«Anyway…» Genno tried to say between two laughs. «… how… was your… week?»

«We had to stay on a crowded island with something like fifty kids turned into pokemon for a week, so… yeah, perfect. » Ash said. «How was yours? »

«Oh, it was a pretty relaxing week. I only went in Gregor Dexter's office to make in an ally again under the nose of a team Blast member and I spent the rest of the time giving my blood to them. »

«Ouch. » Ash commented.

«You've seen my dad? » Sebastian immediately asked.

«Yes. He was looking tired, but when I explained the situation to him, he promised to take part in our plan. »

«Talking about that, what is the next step to our plan? » Ash wondered.

«We need to gather allies. No matter how hard we try, I don't think us three alone are enough to defeat Team Blast. »

«Who should we ask then? » Pikachu questioned.

«I don't know. I'm running out of ideas. » Genno said with a little sight.

A heavy silence fell in the room. Who could they ask for help when most people who sell them to Team Blast at the first occasion? Not that they could truly blame them for wanting their children to be safe, but… they only made things worse.

«I know! » Ash suddenly said.

They all looked at him in surprise.

«What? Am I the only one not allowed to have ideas? »

They shook their heads.

«Thanks guys, you're great friends. Anyway… we should ask the gym leaders! »

«The gym leaders…? » Genno repeated, unsure of what to say.

«Yes, they're all strong enough to help and, from what I remember of them, they'd never just go along with criminals like Team Blast. »

«Hum… we could try to convince them… »

«That part will be easy. If I go, it'll be done in no time. I'm sure they all remember me. »

«Yeah, they probably would recognize you at first sight. » Genno said with a hint of irony.

When he saw the look on Genno's face, Ash realized his current predicament.

«Okay, I admit that as a pikachu, they might have a little problem recognizing me, but I still want to convince them! » Ash pleaded.

«Ash…» Pikachu whispered.

«Genno… I don't want to stay behind! I want to help defeat Team Blast. Let me at least try to do this much! »

«But… you can't even talk to them… » Genno protested.

«I can just type something on a computer! It's not that hard. Heck, worse comes to worse, I can convince their pokemon to help! »

«You…err… fine. Pikachu? » he said.

«Yes? »

«Can the two of you handle another race through the woods? »

«Yeah, it wouldn't be a problem. Pikachus are quite strong. » Pikachu said while sounding a little wounded by the comment.

«I know that. I just don't know how long you've been running before. » Genno explained.

«Hum… I don't know for you, Pikachu, but I could use a little rest before going. » Ash interjected.

«In that case, we should go outside the lab; there are a few rooms that are comfortable enough.»

Genno took his bag away from Pikachu's shoulder and leaded out of the lab. The six poke-geneticists looked at each other. They didn't really understand the conversation as half of it was a bunch of «Pika pi» and «pichu chu». Being a pokemon in human form had its advantages.

* * *

Ash was lying down next to Pikachu, with Alexchu running on the bed around him. From times to times, the pichu fell on the cushion, but just got up as fast and continued running. Sebastian was sometimes playing with him, but he was mostly listening the conversation between Ash, Genno and Pikachu.

«Wow, that seemed like one eventful week on the island. » Genno said, impressed.

«You have no idea how many glares we got for bringing the kids there. » Pikachu replied.

That made Genno chuckle.

«Sorry guys, I should have warned Nidoking in advance. I've earned you trouble, didn't I? »

«Forgiven, it was worth to see all those mothers trying their own advices. » Ash said viciously.

Pikachu and him burst out laughing at some profoundly amusing memories.

«I wish I could have stayed with you instead. Here, it was really boring… and I never thought I'd say that about a project involving poke-genetics. »

They stayed silent for a second, observing Alexchu trying to produce some electricity. For now, he was only creating some sparkles. His sad expression was melting their hearts. Ash had to pick him up and cuddle him.

«Don't worry, Alex. When you'll be older you'll be able to produce lighting so strong that you'll light the sky. »

«Chuuu! » the baby said, disappointed.

Looking at his friends, Genno was beginning to feel a bit silly, being the only «human» around. He could change that. He focused a second and then looked at Ash and his son. «Wow», he thought, « Alex really resembles Ash, even on the genetic level. »

Then he saw something really disturbing.

Sebastian's genetic code was giving off a weird feeling. He could not precisely tell what was wrong with it, but his ditto instincts were telling him not to transform into him.

«Sebastian, what happened to you? » he asked, a bit rudely.

Surprised, the kid wasn't sure how to react. He muttered some confused words.

«I… a man with a white long coat was always using syringes on me. It… hurt a lot. »

Genno bit his lips. It was probably what he feared.

«Ash, Pikachu, I'm taking Sebastian to the poke-geneticists downstairs. I think they need to take a good look at Sebastian. »

«Okay. » they agreed. «We'll take our leave. We've rested enough. »

Alexchu seemed to have the opposite idea. In his father's arms, he yawned and grab his father's fur. Seconds later, he was sleeping with his head buried in his father's chest.

«… Pikachu? »

«Yes, Ash? »

«Will he hold on to me if we run? »

«That's usually how a pichu sleeps when its parents are traveling. He'll be fine. »

Ash's unease was clearly visible. What if Alex fell? What if he tripped?

As enervating as his thoughts were, they didn't seem to faze Genno, who had gotten out of the room with his bag and Sebastian, after a quick «see you later».

* * *

He was carrying Sebastian in his arms when he entered the lab again, this time with urgency.

Stan looked at him with surprise.

«Genno? Where are your friends? »

«They decided to leave, but they'll be back in a few days, I think. But we have a bigger problem. You need to take a look at Sebastian! »

Confusion spread on their face.

«You mean the son of Viridian City's mayor? »

«Yes. Did you ever experiment on him? » he asked.

And the question made them uneasy. He was asking for the whole truth, prepared to hear an ugly one. Fortunately, Stan replied something that surprised Genno.

«No, none of us did. Even if we could have, we wouldn't have experimented on him. It doesn't really matter though as your father never allowed anyone near him. »

Genno took a second to think about what had been revealed. Could it be…? His father was testing something important with Sebastian. The urgency to find out what came back even faster. He hoped it was not dangerous for Sebastian, but he was not naïve enough to think that it was completely harmless.

«Sebastian, we will need you to cooperate with us. Rest assure, we will not do anything that could harm you. » Helen said as she approached the pichu.

«It'll be alright, Sebastian. They won't do anything bad to you. At most, they'll ask for a little bit of blood or of saliva. »

Genno was about to hand him over to Helen when Sebastian sneezed.

They were both sent flying.

The others rushed towards them and examined them. Stan was the first to get to them. They were both covered in a white substance.

«They're… covered by snow. » he stated, unable to understand what had happened.

«Sebastian… you can use Blizzard? » Genno said, just as incredulous.

«I… don't even know how I did it! » the poor kid replied, guilty at the mess he caused.

«I didn't think I'd ever see an electric type use an ice type move. Isn't it… you know… impossible? » wondered Genno.

Seven persons thought the same thing simultaneously. This was the result of the experimentation Jonathan had made. That it was the goal or a side-effect was unsure at this point.

«If only I could understand what I see in him… why is it so different from Alex and Ash? » Genno wondered mentally.

He gasped in shock. How could he not notice something like that! Genno looked at the man trying to help him get on his feet.

«Stan! If two persons have a child, how many of their genes does the child have? »

Surprised, the man answered nonetheless.

«Typically, a child holds half of each of his parents' genes. »

«Can there be an instance where a specific part of them is exclusively coming from one of the parents? Maybe like a section comes from the father and another from the mother? »

«I'm afraid it doesn't work this way and I'm surprise you even need to ask. This is the basics of genetics. » Stan answered.

Genno bit his lips. He was so stupid! He should have seen it as soon as Alexchu was born!

«Why do you want to know this all of a sudden? »

«Because I just realized how terribly wrongs some things are. Out of the two pikachus that entered one is a human friend of mine that was transformed by a DNA sample. The pichu on his back was his son. »

A look of disgust spread on Robert's, Carly's and Martin's face.

«Don't look like he did something utterly stupid willingly! I wouldn't have resisted either had I been in his shoes. Trust me on that part; the pheromones of a female pikachu are on a whole different level. »

When he saw some comprehension in Helen's and Stan's eyes, Genno continued.

«Anyway, I looked at them with my ditto eyes and I saw that their DNA was awfully similar. »

Stan's mouth fell.

«This is impossible, according to you, as Ash's human genes are overwritten except for a few of them. Could something have gone wrong because Ash was human before he was a pikachu? Could it have cause Alex's genes to appear human where his father's are? »

Helen was about to reply when a curious noise cut her.

Genno was the only one to recognize it, but he didn't understand. «Why is my cellphone ringing? »

Anxiously and under the eyes of six curious scientists, he answered the call.

«Hello. » he greeted, unsure.

«Hi Genno! I'm happy to hear your voice again. » said a cheerful feminine voice.

It was familiar, but he could not put his finger on it. His cellphone distorted the voices too much.

«Who is it? »

«It's me, Stephanie. »

«Stephanie? »

«Oh please, Genno, you talked to my brother last month. You told him you wanted to visit me at my job and get a taste of our marvelous T-bones. » the woman explained.

Stan wondered what was so horrifying that it made Genno's face white. He had a pretty good idea, but he was trying to be optimistic.

«Janes… » the teenager whispered.

That was enough to paint horror on the face of every other person in the lab.

«Who? No, my name is Stephanie. I'm calling because I was wondering why you didn't come despite saying you would. Oh, there's also this little message I wanted to deliver to you: I'm sorry for that awful barbecue sauce I threw at you; it was an order from my boss. He said he couldn't stand to see you around his restaurant. Are you mad? » she continued with that horribly cheerful tone.

Genno was clenching his fist in anger. She was playing with him. He had to keep his anger under control. She was a sly woman and a complete sadist. She was trying to distract him from an important fact. «Nice try. » he thought as he realized what he absolutely had to.

He walked to the computer, which was already opened and was showing the results of a previous experiment. He closed all the applications and wrote a message to the others.

«Grab whatever you want, take Sebastian with you and GET OUT OF HERE! »

They all stared at the screen for a second before nodding and taking with them a few tests tubes and Sebastian, who was shooting questioning looks at them.

«Of course I'm mad, Steph. The stain it made is still there. I can't wash it away. Would you mind telling your boss that he is a monster for ruining such a good t-shirt. » Genno said with a deep irony.

«Perhaps you'd like to tell him yourself. He's just next to me and he seems like he has things to say. »

Genno's heartbeat became much more frantic.

«Here, he's taking over our conversation, bye bye. »

Genno was breathing heavily and calling himself an idiot. «Stop being so nervous! You already chose what you should do, so just do it and be done with it! »

«Hi son. »

His tongue seemed stuck to his palate and his mouth felt dry.

Genno finally mastered enough of self-control to answer.

«Hi dad. »


	32. Sky diving

**Poke-genetics: sky diving**

He swallowed loudly. He had to say it.

«Why are you doing all those horrible things, dad? »

«What are you talking about? » his father replied, sounding perfectly sincere.

For a split second, Genno hoped it was true. He wanted to believe in his father.

His hopes were crushed.

«Are you saying experimenting is wrong? I brought you up better than that, Genno. »

It was like a punch to the face. Genno's voice was faint.

«You… taught me about curiosity and science… not about something as monstrous as that. »

«What is so monstrous about me experimenting to discover the secrets of poke-genetics? »

«The part where it becomes torture of living sentient beings, humans include! » Genno shouted.

«But, Genno, science has always worked this way. It is an art that has feed of the study of living creatures, regardless of their consent or their feelings. You showed interest in it yourself. Why didn't you come to study with me when I took over this stupid organization? »

«Because they are a bunch of criminals that are making people suffer! And you're the worst of them! »

At that, Jonathan chuckled.

«Genno, the way you sound, if I didn't know how stupidly righteous Stan is, I'd swear you were his son and not mine. »

«Stupidly righteous? Refusing to experiment on sentient creatures is stupid? »

«Now, now, Genno, you sound like those fools in the age of the poke-witch hunts. Shunning scientists because they are ahead of their time… what a pity. »

This was completely mad. Genno felt a burning anger raise in him.

«You're not ahead of your time… you're just a sad, mad man. » he said as he searched through the chemical products of the lab.

«Don't talk to your father like that, young man. » Jonathan's voice echoed with a tone of warning.

«Oh, so I'm your son now? Make up your mind! What kind of father are you anyway? You ordered Janes to throw a DNA sample at me! » he continued his rant as he placed a bottle on the ground next to the door.

«For an experiment to be successful, you need the right test subject. Considering that you are well versed in poke-genetics, you make an ideal test-subject. Besides, you always said that you liked dittos. I was doing you a favor. »

«What kind of reason is that? You like strawberries, but I've never see you turn into one. »

Jonathan laughed at the ridiculous example.

«Don't laugh! Because your argument is as stupid as that! Besides did it not occur to you that I would have agreed to be transformed in an experiment if you asked? »

«Yes, and since you were willing anyway, there's no problem, right? »

«No! It would have been done in a laboratory, in our house, in a controlled environment and with the counteragent ready. That's an experiment, with two consenting parties. What you did was leave me alone in the wild with a new body I had little to no control over. Do you even realize how hard it had been to survive at first? »

«Greater stimuli give greater results. » he simply replied.

Genno had to force himself not to destroy his cellphone. Instead, he redirected his rage toward his plan. He grabbed another product lying in a bowl of oil and placed it not too far from the first bottle. He could only guess the distance he needed to put between the items.

«Well, it's too late to go back now. I've already chosen my side… and you're not in it. » Genno said as he started a fire with papers, the broken leg of an old wooden chair and a lighter between the bottle and the bowl.

«I could see that already. You've freed the foolish poke-geneticists, killed the cooperative ones, destroyed the data I had accumulated so far and take away some valuable test subjects. With such a serious offense, I had no choice but to retaliate. I hope you're guilty. »

«If anyone should be guilty, it's you. You were the one to turn them into pokemon. I'm working on a counteragent, I'll save them. »

«You're a fool, my son. The counteragent only works if it's used during the first week following the transformation. »

For a second, Genno stopped working and paused. He was feeling nauseous. It was well past a week for EVERYONE!

He shook his head. His father had to be playing games with him.

«Really? That'd be too bad. » he tried to sound confident.

«You are really weak. You can't even lie properly. »

«You, on the other hand, know how to lie. You've lied to me for years! »

«Now, that's an unfound statement, isn't it? I never lied to you. It just never occurred to you that I didn't care about the test subjects. I'm researching; I'm not trying to be a saint. »

There was an awkward silence between them. Genno couldn't find an answer. He just looked at the fire next to him.

«Frankly, I do not know what is wrong with you, son? You act so foolishly sometimes. For example, I do not know what is the most stupid of your recent actions: that you gave your phone number to a poke-geneticist when some were being kidnapped or that you didn't even think of throwing your cellphone away. »

Stan! He gave his phone number to Stan when he visited him… and that was the thing he forgot to do: throw his cellphone away!

They were just lucky that Pikachu had brought it along with him, otherwise… they'd have found the island.

His father continued talking.

«Honestly, if I was you, I wouldn't have answered an unknown call and even if I did, I'd have hanged up the second I knew it's my enemies. Now, you'll be captured because we were able to track the signal. Let me say it again, son: you are a fool. »

The teenager put the cellphone on the counter.

«Did you think I didn't notice? Did you think that I forgot that Janes has an alakazam? That by hearing her voice minutes ago I wouldn't think she's the one coming after me? » Genno calmly said.

In the Marco's office, Jonathan did not believe his ears.

«Well, if I were you, I'd listen closely. » Genno advised as he escaped the lab by the tunnel he had dug days ago.

A minute later, the door of the lab was opened by a bunch of Team Blast members.

In the tunnel, Genno whispered with deep hatred.

«Take this! »

Janes lead the members to the lab. It was a pity she never got to go inside of it with her alakazam when she was working for Giovanni; it would have allowed her to teleport her team directly in the lab to capture the kid on the scientists, but at least she knew where it was.

When she revealed the location of the lab, a few members got ahead of her. As they were about to touch the door, she felt a chill run down her spine. As fast as she could, she called out her wobbuffet.

Her intuition saved many members.

When they opened the door, they knocked the fragile bottle of hydrogen and broke it… next to the flames.

The fire burst! …And stopped at a few centimeters of the wobbuffet.

«Whew, that was a close one. » the sly woman said. «Good job, wobbuffet. »

She walked in the middle of the deserted laboratory, baffled about the disappearance of the kid. Janes was sure that there had been no hidden passage leading out of it, but, when she saw the hole in the wall, she changed her mind. Janes continued to explore the place. She looked at the broken bottle with curious eyes.

«A trap. Such a clever kid. A little like his father, only less vicious. »

It was then that she saw the little bloc of metal covered in oil next to the door. There was a bowl on its side, dripping of oil too. She didn't have the time to elaborate. A part of the bloc was no longer covered in oil.

The criminals were blown to the walls, thrown by the strength of the blast. Janes felt a few bones inside of her break as she made contact with the wall. A metallic taste filled her mouth. She took her previous comment back. He was as vicious as his father. She wasn't able to move her legs and her arms were barely able to.

Furious, she dropped a pokeball.

«Dragonite. The brat escaped in that tunnel. Get… him! » she ordered with a deadly emphasis on the last two words.

* * *

When he heard the blast, Genno felt a savage feeling of triumph raise inside of him.

«That's basic chemistry, you monsters… »

It really was. He had put a bottle of hydrogen close to a flame. When it was broken, the hydrogen made contact with the flames, creating a first explosion. If they didn't fall for that one, the other would get them.

He had been surprised to find some cesium in the basements, but considering how dangerous it was, it was not impossible to discover some in an ancient criminal's lair.

Cesium is an extremely reactive metal that explodes in contact with water. For this reason, it is usually kept in oil. Otherwise, the humidity of the air would be enough to create a reaction.

The burst created by the hydrogen would blow the cesium in the bowl away and the oil would eventually wear off.

According to the noise, it had.

Genno kept running in the dark, using his ditto eyes to the fullest. He had to get out of here as fast as he could. Even if his trap had been successful, there were bound to be a few members able to run after him.

He got lifted from the ground. Something had hit him in the back.

«What? »

He fell face first in the rocks, getting more bruises and feeling some blood running down his nose. Ignoring the pain, he tried to assess the situation he was in. There was something really heavy on top of him and it was using its claws to maintain him against the ground.

«My mistress ordered me to pick you up. » the dragonite stated.

«You… Dragonite? Why are you doing this!»

«It's an order from my mistress. »

«That doesn't mean you have to obey every order she gives you. Heck, you could even flee and never see her against if you wanted! Please, let me go! » Genno pleaded.

«I'm obeying her because I like her. That's all. »

«You like her? She's a sadistic monster! » he shouted in disbelief.

Genno immediately realized it was a bad idea to say that. The pressure on his back got stronger than ever.

«Do not say anything like that ever again… or I might not complete my mission of bringing you back alive. » the dragon pokemon threatened.

That helped Genno keep his mouth shut.

«If only… I could see him… » he despaired.

He felt himself be lifted again. The pokemon was careful not to appear in his sight.

«I need to think of something fast! » Genno urged his mind.

The dragon pokemon spread his wing.

«Quickly! » he thought.

He was struck by inspiration just in time.

In the claws of an unsuspecting dragonite, Genno morphed back into a ditto. Unprepared, the dragonite let the suddenly much smaller pokemon slip between his claws.

Angry, the pokemon rushed to capture him again, but, as he was about to succeed, his eyes made contact with those of the ditto.

In the cave, the light was blinding. The dragon pokemon could only catch a glimpse of another dragonite before the one his mistress requested disappeared in the darkness of the tunnel.

* * *

Genno felt the sides of the tunnel shakes under the cry of rage his chaser let out.

«Oh Mew. I better master this type of flight before I'm turned into mincemeat. »

It had been an unpleasant surprise to discover that dragon types didn't flew the same way birds did. They actually had an extra pair of limbs for that sole purpose which made things harder for a first try in that form.

«Great, just what I needed: a handicap while I'm being chased by an extremely rare and powerful pokemon. Figures. » Genno resented.

A red light flashed in his eyes and he felt panic replace his anger. A stream of fire went over his head, missing him by inches.

«Less thinking, more flying! » he told himself.

He was flapping his wings as fast as he could. He could feel the presence of his chaser. It was slowly becoming bigger and bigger, more threatening by the seconds. A single bead of sweat drifted from the side of his head.

The sides of the tunnel slowly turned red again.

Genno dived, almost making contact with the ground.

The flames missed him again, but he still felt the heat. It only amplified the feeling of urgency that was blooming in him.

«Faster… faster… faster ! » he repeated.

In front of him! There was a slight ray of light. It was the end of the tunnel! Behind him, the dragonite was working on reducing the distance between them. He couldn't let himself get caught again! There was no way he could take down a pokemon like that in battle!

Genno could see the sides of the tunnel easily now. The light was shining down on the walls of rock around them. He could probably see the dragon chasing him had he turned around, but he was too afraid to try.

«Just a few more meters… »

He could feel the fresh air of the surface cooling down the cave, riding on his wings.

«Almost… there… »

He could catch a glimpse of the blue sky from where he was…

«YES! » he shouted in victory.

He was outside! He was flying under the open blue sky!

Genno felt an ecstasy of pure adrenaline kick in, replacing the fear. He had been fast enough to outrun a dragonite! While being one himself though…

A stunning pain filled his mind.

He had been hit in the ribs by something. «What the…? » His field of vision was covered by pale orange. The dragonite had caught up to him!

«You brat! You're going to pay for humiliating me! » the dragon pokemon screamed over the wind, grabbing Genno by the shoulders.

«What humiliation? I'm trying to flee here! » he shouted back, trying to break free.

The dragon pokemon opened his mouth but didn't reply. Instead, Genno saw a ball of energy form inches away from his face.

«Holy crap! That's a Hyper be…»

The attack hit in dead on.

Everything went silent. He could not hear the roaring wind. He could not hear the loud indignation of the pokemon. He could not hear his own voice.

His head was spinning.

Genno was vaguely conscious that they were heading back toward the tunnel. His eyes were half-shut, sometimes showing image of the forest below, sometimes of the mountains in the background, once of a calm lake hidden among the trees.

A single thought was echoing in his mind.

«I… must not… get captured… »

Mechanically, he grabbed the other dragonite's arm, who was surprised to see his prey was even conscious at this point. Without much effort, the dragon pokemon shook him off.

Genno was falling. The other had thrown him away when he broke free and the teenager was not even registering that he needed to open his wings.

The dragonite saw the kid falling to his demise. He felt fear help him move faster, the fear of failure, fear of his mistress's reaction.

Genno saw the dragonite dive in his direction at full speed. He should do something about it, right?

As the dragon pokemon approached, he tried to change of position. He needed to face the ground…

The dragon pokemon roared again.

And almost squeak in surprise. The kid, the copycat that looked brain dead seconds ago, had given a flap of his wing and flown just over him.

Janes's pokemon felt a pair of arms hold his shoulders, just like he had done minutes ago.

Genno felt the dragon try to break free. In his confused mind, there was but one order: don't let go. As if having his entire mind focused on one task made him stronger, his embrace was as firm as steel.

If he had been less stunned, Genno might have noticed how fast they were going… Somewhere in his mind, he knew they were heading exactly where they had to.

The ground was approaching at an alarming rate. Genno actually had to fight the instinct to spread his wings before he could make sure that Dragonite was the one under. The pokemon only had the time to let out a scream of distress before they hit the lake.

Genno felt the water violently splashed his face as he entered the body of water.

It was like being surrounded by a silent world of calm and rest. Unable to think clearly, he morphed into his ditto form.

The pain disappeared and his mind was suddenly crystal clear. Genno's first coherent thought was that he needed to breath. The second was that dittos were extremely poor swimmers. The third was that he had lost sight of the dragonite.

Before the lack of oxygen affected him, he changed into Ash and swam toward light.

His head pierced through the water and he inhaled a large quantity of air. Genno then tried to stay in place but the task proved itself to be difficult.

His arms and legs were heavy. That was one of the things he noticed about his transformations: it healed physical injuries, but it add no impact on his level of exhaustion. If anything, it tired him even more.

Genno chose to get to the shore before he no longer had the strength.

As he was about to reach it, he sank. Cursing his treacherous body, he pushed himself even harder to reach the sandy shore.

Coughing, he slowly got out of the water and fell on his back.

He was breathing heavily, trying to get a little bit of control over his crazy heart. He was looking at the sky, letting himself get swallowed by the peace of the clear blue sky.

«It's this way! » said an unknown voice.

He jolted on his feet.

«I told you I saw something fall from the sky. » claimed another, deeper, voice.

«Maybe it was a couple of bird pokemon fighting? » suggested a more feminine one.

Genno froze.

Dozens of adults had gotten out of the woods and were now staring at him.


	33. Wrong

**Poke-genetics: wrong**

He was unable to think. What could he do? They were no pokemon in sight and he was deadly tired. To make things even easier, he was in front of a freaking crowd!

When the adults recognized him, they immediately shouted:

«It's him! It's Ash Ketchum! Get him! »

Feeling his knee going weak, he stopped standing. He was unable to think of anything. There was no way to escape them as tired as he was. He could only…

«Please… please… don't... take me to them… » he begged.

He instantly felt the atmosphere change. Apparently, that came out wrong, because all the adults were looking at him with curious or stunned expression.

«What did he say? » asked a man with an intimidating appearance.

«He said something like: «ditto di…tto to ditto». » replied a small old lady.

Genno felt his eyes open wide in surprise. He… had talked like his pokemon self?

«Huh? What kind of babbling is that? »

The old lady raised her shoulder, having no satisfying answer.

The man turned to Genno.

«Don't think talking nonsense will help you in any way! » the man said as he grabbed him by his t-shirt.

Instinctively, he knew what to do.

«Sorry, but I think it will. » he said, mentally restraining from showing a sly smile.

Of course, to others, it had sounded like «di ditto diii. ».

Genno looked intensively in the large man's eyes… and morphed.

The man jumped back in surprise.

«What in the name of Mew is going on? »

A copy of himself was staring at him.

«Ditto ditto dittooo? » it said to him with an innocent look.

Comprehension spread through the crowd like wildfire.

«Isn't it obvious, John? That's not Ash Ketchum, it's a ditto. That kid probably used one of his pokemon as a decoy. » someone told him with disdain.

Genno had to resist the urge to punch that person in the face. Ash, using a pokemon as a shield? How dare they talk about him like that when they didn't even know him?

Nonetheless, he kept an innocent face and tilted his head on the right. Dittos didn't have the reputation of being the brightest beings on the planet. This made things easier for him. Looking like he didn't understand, he said:

«Hey, you wild pokemon out there, please help me! Distract the humans or whatever for a few seconds. I need your help! I don't want to be experimented on! »

The more he spoke as a ditto, the less the adults were interested in him… until one of them interjected.

«Can't we use it to get back our children anyway? If we get it to transform into that trainer again, we could hand it over to Team Blast. »

An icy hand of fear was tightly holding Genno's throat. A part of his mind screamed in indignation. «And they dared suggested that Ash was a bad trainer! »

«Don't be stupid. A ditto can only transform into what they see and this one had been frightened enough to turn into John. »

Genno was doing his best to hold his breath. If he let loose his control over himself, he'd be breathing so heavily they'd thought he was sick. It didn't really matter. Seconds later, he really felt sick.

From the back of the crowd, a very special person pushed his way to the border of the lake, where he was.

A member of Team Blast.

«What have you find here? What's the big deal? »

A wave of shame erupted from the adults. Shyly, the old lady explained.

«We thought that we had found one of the persons you're looking for, but… it turned out to only be a ditto. »

Genno and the member simultaneously showed their shock.

«Are you idiots? That's the one we're looking for! Get him! » the man ordered.

«WAIT! »

They all turned toward the now glowing ditto. It took the appearance of Ash Ketchum.

Genno knew he was lost the second the member had come out of the crowd. He had nothing to lose… and he had to tell them clearly what he thought.

He took a deep breath and looked genuinely sad.

«Why are you trying to capture me? »

«Isn't that obvious? We want to get back our children! » John shouted.

«Even at the cost of other peoples' lives? » he asked.

And the question shook them. There was an accusation so deep that it broke some of their spirit.

«Don't try to hide yourself from the truth. If they get their hands on me, I'm definitely dead… or broken so thoroughly I might as well be. Let me ask you, to what extends are you ready to go to save them? »

While some hesitated, the old lady included, others like John didn't stop.

«If it wasn't for you, some of our children wouldn't be lost forever! » a genuine pain in his voice.

Genno looked at the man's eyes. It was the eyes of a parent, one that had suffered.

The teen wanted to punch himself. If only he could tell all those parents that their children were not lost forever…

But he couldn't. If his father heard that the kids were alright, he'd try to find them and would make sure that his threats were executed.

He hardened his mind, following his resolve. With a calm voice, he said:

«I'm sorry. »

John punched him. The pain combined with his anger had erupted at once.

Genno fell to the ground, his body betraying him. He felt like he could not get up… but he did. There was something that had to be said here. AND HE WOULD!

When John saw the damn trainer get up, there was no longer that pitiable apology on his face. It was expressing anger.

«… but you are wrong! » Genno shouted.

They all froze.

«Even if I didn't do anything, you would still have lost them! You're children are in the hands of criminals! Did you really expect them to just hand over your children if you cooperated? No! They'd just continue to use you over and over again! At first, they used you to get rid of their rivals, meaning they were now the strongest criminal organization in Kanto. Now, they're using you to capture people opposed to them. What is the next step? Complete domination over Kanto. No enemies, no rivals, just a whole region doing their bidding without asking questions. People that pretends to be good citizens on top of that! »

Genno was getting more and more intense with each passing words.

«Besides, the only thing that tells you that I'm the one that attacked Team Blast is Team Blast itself! They could have accused anyone they wanted and you would not be able to prove them wrong, because they have complete control over your lives! »

The member didn't want him to speak anymore.

«Make him silent or you won't see your precious little children ever again! » he ordered to the crowd.

«Are you afraid? » Genno said as he turned to the member.

«What? Are you nuts? » the man in red and black asked.

«I asked if you are afraid. Look around you: you are alone, surrounded. The only thing that guarantees your safety is the promise to give their children back. There's just a little problem: you can't keep that promise as some of their children were turned into pokemon! » Genno accused.

The member suddenly felt the atmosphere become a lot hotter. He could feel the glance of some of the parents fell on him.

«How low do you intend to sink if it means saving the ones they didn't already transformed? Obviously sending a teen you never met to his demise doesn't disturb you, even if he hadn't done anything wrong at first. Did I do anything wrong when Team Blast announced they wanted me in their hands? No…I only tried to fight Team Blast, the ones that created this mess in the first place! Nevertheless, I've been chased by a whole town of people just like you. What about a friend? Would you sell him out if they asked you to? Hey, John, if they asked you to give them your children to free all the others, would you do it? »

The question was like a parasite, devouring the poor man from the inside. There was no way he'd ever give his children away to criminals like them!

And the truth put him to shame.

«You wouldn't... and that's normal for a parent to want to keep his children safe. I bet you'd give yourself away without a second of hesitation, but you'd never give the ones you love. »

Genno had to keep his anger under control. He was actually shaking from it as he continued.

«BUT YOU WOULD ALL FORCE HIM TO IF TEAM BLAST ASKED THAT! » he screamed toward the rest of the crowd.

He could see it on their face: shame. They would all do it and they knew it. A few of them looked away, but most of them only let their despair took over. Their determination would not falter. They wanted their children to be safe… and humans.

«It's just … wrong. Trying to selfishly save only those you care about, even if it means hurting everyone else. » he said in a whisper.

«It's WRONG! Cooperating with Team Blast will not save anyone! They'll only have more puppets. The one way to end this conflict is by destroying them! They're the only ones responsible of your misery! »

«SILENCE! TAKE HIM AWAY NOW! » the member ordered, forgetting his previous unease.

«I'm just trying… to save everyone. » Genno finished, pleading.

He didn't look at the parents as they got closer to capture him. He just waited, the fatigue catching up now that he was no longer angry. With his eyes closed, he thought.

«Sorry guys, it seems like this is as far as I go. » he said mentally toward Ash and Pikachu.

The lake suddenly exploded under a noise of apocalypse.

* * *

At first, it didn't know where it was. It could only feel the lightness of its body. It was… under water!

Its memories flashed before its eyes. Its mistress was injured, she had given him an order, the ditto kid had fled, it tried to capture him and he slammed it into the lake.

The feeling of being pummeled and trashed by something else brought back memory of how it would sometimes test its mistress's dominance when it was younger.

Just a dratini at that time, it had tried to go against her. She had completely dominated it, leaving it motionless on the floor, baffled and wounded in its young dratini's pride.

However, it saw something unexpected in the woman. There was affection in her eyes.

«Such power at a young age… you really are what I want. Follow me, I'll make you stronger. I can see it, that pride that makes your heart beat. I'll train you to be my strongest pokemon. »

She had kept her promise. She had trained it harshly, constantly pushing it to its limits, sometimes asking too much. It was often tempted to resent her, but it could truly felt how its strength was growing with each passing moment in her presence. It had proven itself once more when it evolved at an incredibly young age compared to its wild siblings. From that moment on, it swore its loyalty to her. She had understood its core and fed it. It'd go against Mew if she asked.

A few times, it had disappointed her. Each time, she had looked at it with bored eyes that hurt it more than her strongest hit. Each time, it swore it would not happen again.

The brat, as she called the ditto, was escaping…

It wouldn't let this go! It was a proud dragonite! It was an apex predator, a pokemon so strong that it was considered as rare as a legendary, a creature that other feared with just a whisper of its name! It would not endure failure!

The dragonite let out a dragon rage attack as it flew out of the lake.

* * *

Genno realized who it was without looking. It was a roar that induced an instinctual fear far from his human, rational, mind. It was the roar of a dragonite…

…which happened to be furiously diving toward it.

Genno wanted to move. He was furiously ordering his limbs to obey his commands, but they didn't listen. He was too tired, too afraid.

He could catch a glimpse of the various adults around him, moving backward, toward the cover of the trees. The teenager could understand the fear a completely furious dragonite.

«Don't worry. » he said. «It's here for me. »

Mew he hated how weak that sounded! He was even shaking in fear! Genno could feel his legs shaking instead of moving. Though no matter how afraid he was, it did not distract him from the truth.

He was not the one shaking! It was the…

Genno felt himself get lifted in the air.

«What the…? » he shouted.

A steelix! A steelix had come out of the ground to hold him by the t-shirt, which he mildly appreciated, between its giant teeth.

The dragonite yelled, even angrier. A large stream of fire engulfed the steel pokemon.

The light from the firestorm blinded every single being around.

When the flames died out, the giant pokemon had disappeared… and another hole had appeared in the ground.

This time, the adults decided it was time to flee.

A wise choice one might say… as Dragonite roared in fury again, unleashing many devastating attacks in the process.

When they got out of the ground, Genno was tossed on the grass mercilessly. After a painful landing, he asked the steel pokemon:

«Hey! What was that for? »

The steelix grunted and explained with a sharp, dangerous look:

«That flamethrower hurt… a lot! »

Finally realizing what had happened, Genno tried to bow, but, as he was unable to get up, he settled for a simple «Thank you. ».

«Don't thank me, kid. That was an order from my trainer. »

«Your trainer…? » he asked, surprised.

The steel pokemon simply nodded to a person behind him.

«Looks like he got you just in time, didn't he, Ash? »

That voice….

Genno managed to move enough to see who it was. In a whisper, he said:

«Brock…»


	34. Celadon City's gym

**Poke-genetics: Celadon City's gym**

«What are you doing here? » Genno asked.

«I could ask you the same. We've been looking for you ever since those wanted poster of you were printed. » Brock replied.

«Wanted posters…? » he said with an incredulous tone.

«They have been placed everywhere ever since that attack you launched against Team Blast. » his friend calmly explained.

That ticked him off.

«Not you too? Seriously, will people stop believing whatever Team Blast says? They're bad guys! How come anyone actually believes I'm responsible for that attack? » he resentfully said.

Brock stayed silent for a second, ashamed. When he spoke again, he was a little bit quieter.

«If it's not you, who it is? »

Genno looked away and blushed. He would have preferred not to admit it as his little rant made a lot less sense when the truth was out.

«It was me. I'm just having trouble with the fact that everyone accepts what they say as an undeniable truth. »

«I can understand what you mean; it's like believing Team Rocket if they say they had lost interest in Pikachu. »

Having but a vague memory of a conversation about Team Rocket with Ash, Genno pretended to laugh. It was not exactly… convincing.

Brock looked at him as if he had two heads.

«Is there something wrong, Brock? » Genno asked, trying to sound normal.

His friend had a puzzled look on his face.

«You sound a bit different… »

Genno's heartbeat accelerated drastically. Oh Mew! He controlled his voice as well as he could, so it didn't sound so shaky.

«It's… probably because of the lake. The water was cold… maybe I caught something... » he tried to explain.

Brock frowned, then put his palm against Genno's forehead.

«Hum… it doesn't look like you have a fever. » he stated.

Genno was feeling his fatigue mess up with his brain. He intensively wished for a five minute break, just to get a little bit of rest and the time to come up with a plausible excuse.

«Is there any place we could go to rest. I'm exhausted. » the teen stated, still on his back.

Brock smiled at who he taught was his old friend.

«If you really want to take a nap, go ahead, I'll keep an eye on you. »

«Thanks Brock. » he gratefully said.

Genno closed his eyes and fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

«I think there's no danger here. » Pikachu stated after a careful observation of the street.

«Okay, let's go then. » Ash decided.

Both pikachus got out of the dark alley and ran through the street.

As they remembered, Celadon City was huge, even more for Ash. There were just a few problems. They were pokemon without any trainer, which would instantly bring peoples' curiosity over them. Even without counting the trainers that would like electric pokemon, they were good targets for general attention. Adding to that the fact that they were actually wanted for being, ironically, Ash's pokemon, scouting the streets of the city was much more dangerous than it looked.

After realizing this, they decided not to lose time to get to their destination. This was why they were currently sprinting toward Celadon City's gym.

Ash shot a glance at the gloom shaped building which reminded him of a few bad memories… including some cross-dressing and an «X» in the face.

Not letting himself slow down, the pikachu followed his friend until they reached the entrance of the gym. Both pikachus noticed immediately that something was wrong with the gym. Every light was out and it seemed completely deserted!

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other.

«What should we do? » Pikachu asked.

«Hum…I doubt this is a good sign, it probably has something to do with Team Blast. The thing is, Celadon City didn't rebel or anything so it would hardly make sense… We should try to look inside of the gym, but if there really is no one… we'll have to try in another city. »

The two mouse pokemon looked around. Was there anything that they could use to get inside? Preferably, it wouldn't involve them breaking the glass door.

Fortunately for them, Pikachu spotted an air vent on the side of the gym.

«You're thinking what I think you're thinking, right Ash? » Pikachu said as he pointed at the hole.

«I'm thinking that climbing with Alex clinging to me might be hard. Was that what you had in mind? » Ash replied maliciously.

«Okay, maybe not… » Pikachu admitted.

Ash chuckled. He just passed a paw on his son's head before turning back to Pikachu.

«Let's go. »

* * *

«Wow, I guess Genno was right saying that vents are never big enough for a human. We were really cramped in those. » Ash stated as he jumped to the floor.

«They sure were, Ash. » Pikachu answer.

«I bet you didn't even realize it, eh, sleepyhead? » Ash tenderly said as he stroke Alexchu's fur again.

«Chu… » the small pichu said in its sleep, a small smile on his face.

«Okay, Ash, less disturbing Alexchu's sleep and more finding Erika. »

Ash nodded and both pikachus began their search through the facility. The first thing that stroke them was the perfume.

«Hey… Pikachu… » Ash began, noticing something weird. «Isn't this place…? »

«Yeah, I've noticed, Ash. This place wasn't used to produce perfume for a long time. The scent is not nearly as strong as the first time we got here. »

«Then, maybe something happened here after all. » Ash stated.

Without answering, Pikachu urged him to continue their research. Ash agreed, but this gym was giving him a weird feeling. The darkness the rooms were filled with wasn't the kind of darkness to frighten. It was just like something was… hidden here.

Pikachu and Ash looked through the whole gym, though their search in the perfume storage room was much shorter than the other rooms. Ash actually ran away from the room as soon as the strong scent invaded his nose and made him crazy… not to mention that Alexchu showed the dislike of perfume he inherited from his father. Pikachu only stayed long enough to quickly look around the storage until he had enough and closed the door of the isolated storage.

Ash had finally managed to calm his son when Pikachu returned.

«Sorry for running away. I just can't stand perfume… nor can Alex. » Ash explained sheepishly.

«That's okay. I doubt there was anything important in that room anyway. »

Alex, perfectly awake now, wanted to get down but his father's firm grip kept him in place.

«Alex, it's not the time to play. » Ash scolded.

«Chu! » he pouted.

Not influenced by his son's display of character, Ash put him on his shoulder and got on all four again. Alexchu cooperating, Ash turned to Pikachu.

«Still… we've look for the whole gym and there's not a single trainer or pokemon here. »

«It is strange. It's not like this place has been invaded by Team Blast. Nothing's out of place, there's just… no one. »

The two pikachus looked at each other. Of all the room, if they'd try to hide, it would be…

«There was something wrong with the greenhouse, right? » Ash asked with a grin.

«There definitely was. » Pikachu agreed.

Both friends ran through the gym to get to the greenhouse, the one that had been rebuilt after the incident with Team Rocket.

* * *

They were standing in the middle of the grass field, trying to see something that they could have missed on their first visit.

As Ash was staring at the small indoor forest, he heard a whisper coming from the woods.

«Pikachu… » he whispered himself.

«I heard it. »

They turned at the same time toward the trees. A brushing noise had come out and it was followed by a pair of vine heading straight toward them.

«Pikachu, dodge and use Thunderwave. »

Pikachu, confused by the command, barely dodge the hit. As the vines hit the floor, Pikachu counterattacked.

Waves of lightning scourge through the woods and they heard a feminine voice yell.

«I knew it! » Ash said in triumph. «Follow me, Pikachu. »

Ash led them through the woods straight toward the girl who screamed. They immediately recognized her.

«Erika! So you really did hide here after all! » Ash said.

The gym leader looked at the pokemon with uncertain eyes. Beside her was her victreebell. Both were covered with the small electric currents caused by the paralysis from Thunderwave. Even so, there was still a fierce strength in her eyes.

«Stay back! I don't know who your trainer is, but you won't get anything from me. »

«Wow, calm down. » Ash tried to explain, raising his arms in front of him. «We just want to talk to you. »

«I said: STAY BACK! »

Pikachu, looking biased, turned to his trainer.

«So, how do we explain to her that we don't want to harm her if she can't understand us? »

«Err… maybe she could recognize you… »

«I look like every other pikachu in the world, you know? »

«Victreebell, vinewhip now! »

Despite its paralysis, the grass type executed his trainer's orders.

«Pikachu, jump! » Ash yelled.

«Ash, careful! It's coming for you too! »

Ash dodged just in time… but Alexchu began to cry in terror.

«Alex! »

Ash ran to put some distance between them and the victreebell. When he was sure to be far enough, he put Alex down and hid him behind a tree.

«Alex, stay there. Dad will be back in a minute, okay? »

«Chu. » he nodded, still sobbing.

Ash hugged him and had all the difficulties in the world to put an end to their hug.

«You're going to get it for making Alex cry! » he yelled. «Pikachu, Thunderbolt! »

Both pikachus were charging their electricity in their cheeks when something unexpected happened.

One of Erika's pokeball opened by itself.

After a flash of light, it turned out to be a bellosom.

«Bellosom? What are you doing? » its trainer wondered.

The grass type pokemon was staring confusedly at Ash.

Unsure of what to do, all pokemon stopped fighting and looked at the bellosom.

Comprehension suddenly lit the its eyes and it jumped to hug Ash.

«I knew it! It's really is you! » it said.

«Bellosom, what are you doing? » Erika repeated with round eyes.

«Yeah, we're kind of in the dark right now. Care to explain? » Ash said, almost strangled.

«Don't you recognize me? » it said after giving him a little bit of personal space.

Ash stared at the bellosom. There was something familiar about it, but…

It sighted in despite.

«I guess we both changed a little bit too much. Though in your case, it was not supposed to be possible. »

«Change…? You're that gloom I rescued from the fire! » Ash said as he was struck by comprehension.

It nodded happily.

They both turned around when they heard yet another sight.

«I suppose that if Bellosom likes you, you're probably not pokemon from Team Blast. »

A smile spread across Pikachu and Ash's face as they vigorously nodded in approval.

«In that case… I should probably bring you to the others. » Erika said.

«The others? » they asked.

«Follow me. » the gym leader said.

* * *

Genno yawned as he woke up.

«Wow, you slept even more than usual. You had to be deadly tired. » Brock said.

«Yeah… I was. » he admitted while blushing.

It was then that he realized that they were standing on moving rocks.

«Huh? Where are we? »

«We're on steelix's back. He's taking us to Celadon City. »

«Celadon City? Why there? »

Brock stayed silent for a second. He looked as if he was thinking of revealing something.

«Listen, Ash. There are a few things I need to tell you. The first is a message from Misty. »

«Misty? »

He didn't see it coming. Brock punched him on top of the head.

«She said you were an idiot for trying to take on Team Blast by yourself and not telling us anything. I agree with her on that. »

«Err… I'm… sorry. » Genno said while rubbing the bump on his head.

«Aren't we friends? Can't you just believe in us a bit more? » Brock asked, insisting.

«Brock… »

What could he say to that? He was making a mess of Ash's relationships… and he had no idea of how he could make things better.

«As for the second thing I wanted to say… » Brock continued.

Genno was smacked once more.

«This is for you recklessly attacking Team Blast and causing them to turn children into pokemon!»

«I deserved that…» Genno muttered, a little sore about the hit.

«Honestly, did you not realize that's what they'd do? »

Okay, Brock may had a point, but he was sick of being told the same damn thing every time he met someone.

«Of course not, I'm just one big idiot that thinks only about himself and that wanted to play the hero. I could have not possibly considered the consequences of my actions. » he claimed ironically.

«My little brother's one of the captured kid, you know? »

That shut Genno's mouth.

«…I'm… »

«Sorry? Yeah, I guessed that much. » Brock said with a calm voice.

But Genno could see his arms shaking.

«A part of you hates Ash, right? Even if you try to understand. » Genno stated.

It was not a question. Genno knew it. It was crystal clear. How much more was he going to mess with Ash's life?

Not anymore.

«Brock… that hatred is not justified. You should not hate Ash, you should hate me. »

«Now, you're not making any sense. »

«I am. You just don't realize… » he paused and took a deep breath. «Do you remember Ashchu?»

«Your new pikachu that looks like you when Lily turned you into one? Yeah, why do you ask? »

«Think for a second, Brock. What are the odds that I caught a pikachu that looks exactly like Ash transformed? »

Brock finally noticed how weird Ash was talking.

«Why do you keep talking at the third person? »

«I'm NOT Ash Ketchum! »

«What? »

«Ash was turned into a pikachu… while I was turned into a ditto. The name's Genno Avery and I'm trying to bring down Team Blast. »

«That's… impossible. » Brock said, trying to rationalize.

«Brock, you SAW kids get turned into pokemon… and if you need a proof… »

Genno morphed into him.

«Do you believe me now? » A copy of Brock said to the original.

«I… do. »

A heavy silence fell between them. Embarrassed, Genno changed back into Ash.

«I was the one that attacked Team Blast. While I'm sure he would have wanted to… he did not take part in that. »

Brock didn't answer.

«Though there is one thing you would like to hear. Ash didn't take part in the fighting. Pikachu worked on gathering the transformed kids and brought them back to a hiding place where Ash was. Even if he was turned into a pokemon, your brother is safe. »

He could see Brock shaking again, but this time, it felt different. Brock was crying out of happiness.

Having no idea on how to react, Genno stayed silent until the gym leader's emotion faded.

«…you did not say why we were going to Celadon City… » Genno remarked.

«…that was the third thing I needed to tell you. A few days before you attacked Team Blast, I received an unexpected visit. Two persons came at the gym and said that they wanted to fight Team Blast. They asked me to join them. They said they were recruiting all the gym leaders to form a group of fighters. »

Genno was stunned. «That's exactly what Ash wanted to do! »

«I accepted, but your attack against Team Blast may have made things more difficult. They are more on their toes, so we chose to move to another place and make it our headquarters. This is why we're heading toward Celadon City. »

«Who… was the one that recruited you? »

«You'll never guess who. » Brock stated with a smile.

* * *

Pikachu and Ash, which was carrying Alex, closed their eyes. The sudden light was hurting their sensible eyes and they put their paws in front of them. After a few second of this, they could finally see correctly and they realized there were many humans in the secret room.

It was then that they heard a familiar voice:

«Pikachu? Ashchu? »

Both Pikachu and Ash's jaws dropped to the floor, literally.

«MISTY! »


	35. Confession

**Poke-genetics: confession**

«Brock, there's something I need to ask you. » he started, hesitant.

«What is it, As… hum… Genno? »

Genno looked down. He followed an impulse, but he broke a promise he made and he didn't want things to snowball from here.

«When we'll meet the others, act as if I'm really Ash. »

«What? But… why? » Brock said, confused.

«Something happened and made things a lot more difficult for Ash. Whether he reveals himself or not must be up to him. I told you because of your brother, but… this would mean something different for Misty. Please, I'll explain it to you, so… promise me you'll pretend I didn't talk to you. »

Brock stayed silent.

«Please… it should be Ash's choice. » Genno pleaded.

«I… promise… »

Genno smiled weakly. At least, Ash's secret was safe for now.

* * *

«MISTY! »

«What are you two doing here? » the red-haired girl asked.

Misty was right in front of them, surrounded by all the gym leaders of Kanto… well, except for Sabrina and Brock. They were in some kind of hidden basement, somewhat military. This couldn't have been made specially to fight Team Blast, could it?

With a loud gulp, Ash mastered the strength to answer.

«We came here to talk to the gym leaders. What about you? » Ash answered with lots of excitement in his voice.

Misty's eyebrows rose.

«Hum… I guess I'll have to wait for Ash if I want to know… »

Ash's ears fell.

«I hate not being able to speak English. » he whispered sadly.

«Cheer up, Ash! You'll be able to speak with her soon, I'm sure! » Pikachu said with an encouraging smile.

«Thanks, buddy. »

Misty leaned toward them.

«And who might this cute little guy be? » Misty questioned as she scratched Alex behind his ears.

Ash felt a knot in his throat. No sounds could bypass that knot. It was like he had lost even the power of pokemon speech. He couldn't bring himself to answer Misty's question. Wouldn't it break her heart?

«Oh, come on, Misty! Isn't it obvious? I mean… two pikachus and a baby pichu… you're old enough to understand those kinds of things, aren't you? » a man said.

«Oh, shut up Surge! » replied Misty. «They're both guys! Right? » she finished as she turned to them.

Ash and Pikachu nodded furiously. Oh, Ash was so not going through another case of mistaken gender after that annoying chansey.

Alexchu even happily confirmed with a «Chu! » before making a weird face.

All face turned toward the little pokemon.

«What is it, Alex? » his father asked.

He received his answer when the little pichu's stomach made a loud noise. Alex was hungry.

Misty lost sight of Ashchu for a second, only seeing a yellow blur rocketing through the room to get to the fridge. In one move, he opened the fridge with his tail and jumped to the top tablet. There, he grabbed a bottle of milk and jumped on a counter. He looked a bit lost with the lack of silverware and he started talking to the gym leaders which look at him with curious expressions… until Erika moved.

«There. » she said, taking a plate out of a retractable cupboard.

Ashchu looked gratefully at her and pointed at the pichu. Then, he jumped on the floor and ran with the bottle between his small arms.

Ash moved the bottle toward Erika who opened it and filled the plate. With a smile, she gave it to Alexchu. The pichu happily licked the plate, drinking to his heart's content.

Ash turned to Pikachu.

«Can you look for it? »

«Sure. » his pokemon replied.

While Pikachu began running through the place, trying to find «it» for Ash, said trainer was lying next to Alex, looking at his son. At one point, he even dripped a finger in it and poked Alex's forehead.

The pichu stopped drinking and tried to look at the little bit of milk dripping from his forehead. With his tongue, he tried to reach for it, only to lick his own nose.

At his son's face, Ash could not help but laugh sincerely.

Ash stood up and took Alexchu in his arms, raising his giggling son over his head. After a few second, he brought him in a hug and whispered to his son's ears alone.

«I love you, Alex. »

The little pichu smiled at him before burping.

«Are you full now? » he asked while laughing.

«Chu! » Alex said while raising his arms.

«Okay, in that case… Pikachu! Did you find the bathroom? » He asked a lot louder.

«Yes! Follow my scent. »

As the pikachu exited the room, it was followed by the eyes of the many gym leaders.

«Anyone has any idea of why there are two pikachus and a pichu here? » was the question many didn't ask.

* * *

Ash got out of the bathroom with Alexchu in his arms after a few minutes, Pikachu following. This was a habit they developed over the past week or so. Alex always needed to go to the bathroom after a nice meal, so they adapted to this little detail when feeding him.

Alexchu was now full with energy and wanted to get down. Unfortunately for him, Ash didn't know the place well enough to let him wander on his own. Instead he brought his son with him as he returned to see the leaders who were discussing the past events with Erika.

«Will you please explain why you let those three in? I mean, they could be spies from Team Blast for all we know. » Lieutenant Surge questioned.

«They AREN'T Team Blast's pokemon, they're Ash's. This is all the proof we need. » Misty interjected.

«No, it's not! What proves that we can trust HIM? » he said. «After all, the last time you saw him, he left you, saying he had things to take care of, just before Team Blast unleashed its attacks. Suspicious, isn't it? »

«Surge, you're forgetting they are looking for him. » Koga countered.

«Desertion is never treated kindly, no matter the place. »

«You do realize that even if he had deserted Team Blast's rank, he'd still be an ally, right? »Koga said with a skeptical expression.

Surge blushed and shut his mouth.

It was then that Ash jumped on the counter with Alex clinging to his back. They all looked startled, except Koga.

«Hum… guys, do you have a computer or something like that around? » Ash asked while rubbing the back of his head.

From the look on their face, they had no idea of what he just said, though Misty did try to be useful.

«Hum… he looks like he's looking for something… Can you…I don't know… try to mime… what you want… »

Ash hit his forehead. This was going to be hard. He shot a look at his surroundings, hoping to have simply missed it.

There! It was not a computer, but it was a good start. He ran to the end of the counter and grabbed the pencil and notebook lying there.

As he tried to hold it correctly, he heard Blaine mutter.

«Is he doing what I think he is? »

Ash carefully moved the pencil, having trouble holding it with his paws. With a lot of concentration, he managed to write a full word.

Misty grabbed the sheet he had written on and, stunned, read it aloud.

«He wrote… computer. »

The shock on the gym leaders' face was much more clear than crystal.

«… There is a portable one in the third drawer… » Erika struggled to say.

Misty followed the instruction and opened it in front of Ash.

* * *

Genno and Brock were walking in the middle of the street, Genno having copied a random stranger before entering the city.

«This is what happened to us while we were gone. » Genno completed.

«Wow… you've really been through a lot. I think I can understand why Ash would prefer to say it himself… but won't that be a little hard for… practical reasons? »

«Not necessarily, he only needs to get a hold on a computer or anything similar and he'll be fine… I hope…»

* * *

«Hi. We came here to ask you to fight against Team Blast, but it seems that we don't need to ask. »

«No, you don't. » confirmed Blaine, still startled by the writing pokemon.

«In that case, we'd like to cooperate with you in whatever attempt you'll make against them. »

«…we sure need firepower. » commented Koga.

«In that case, can I ask what is going on here? Why did you all get together here all of a sudden?»

«It didn't happen in one day. We were all brought together by Misty and Officer Jenny. »

Ash shot a surprised look at her.

«This is a decision I made a while ago, when things were only starting to get insane. Jenny and I decided we needed allies to bring them down and we chose to ask the other gym leaders of Kanto. From that point on, we traveled full speed to recruit every single one of them. »

«All of them? »

«Yes, Brock was the last one we managed to contact, so he's currently heading this way and Sabrina is traveling around with Jenny. It's unfortunate, but her Alakazam didn't visit a lot of place so its ability Teleport is practically useless. They're going to key locations where we could need to teleport in times of need. »

Ash seemed to be in deep thought. This was a lot better than they had hoped. They had to make the most of it.

Blaine looked as if he was in as much thought as Ash.

«Hum… I'm wondering… who are you? »

«We're Ash Ketchum's pokemon. Was that part not clear? »

«No, I'm asking as individuals. You have to be a gifted pokemon if you know how to write. I'm just curious about you. »

Ash paused for a second. What should he write? That he was really Ash Ketchum? That he was just a pokemon that happened to know it? …yeah, like they'd ever believe that. Hum… perhaps he could just…

«Well, you can start by calling me Ashchu and this little guy on my head is my son: Alexchu. Pleased to meet you. »

He grabbed one of Alex's small paws and made him handwave.

«Say hello to them Alex. »

«Chu! »

It offered a great distraction, as Alexchu's cuteness was heart melting. Unfortunately for Ash, Blaine was not going to let it slide.

«You did not answer my question… » he remarked.

«Who cares about how he knows how to write? » Misty suddenly exploded. «We should be grateful to have new allies, shouldn't we? With most of the population ready to do whatever Team Blast tells them to, we should count ourselves lucky with just one more ally. Speaking of which, is your trainer going to come soon? I've got some things to ask him. »

Ash felt his face turn to a pale yellow. She was suffering. She hid it well, but he could feel it. Under that strong appearance, she was hiding her fear for Ash, her sadness of being alone. He… he… he had to tell her!

«Hum… listen… this is complicated… the truth is… » he slowly wrote.

«Is there someone in here? » asked another familiar voice.

Most of them stood up, prepared for a fight if necessary. However, Misty seemed happy to hear that voice.

«Brock! »

The Pewter City's gym leader entered the room, accompanied by Genno, back in Ash's body.

Their entrance had an important impact on the atmosphere of the room. Time slowed down for a second until the realization hit them. Surge frowned, Koga smiled discreetly, Erika and Blaine both had a content expression on their face. Misty was the last to react, but when she did, it was hard to miss.

She literally jumped on him.

«Ash! It's so good to see you again! » she said to him in a hug.

«Er… it's… hum… nice to see you too. » Genno said as he tried to stop blushing.

The poor teenager shot a worried look at Ash who was silently angry.

«I'm not doing it on purpose. » he articulated just as silently.

Brock was pensively observing the silent exchange. What that Genno said had to be completely true. There was too much dissonance otherwise. Normally, Ash would have told Misty to let him breath or something among those lines. Plus, that pikachu was way too similar to Ash to be a coincidence like they were first taught. That was without the look it had given its trainer when Misty hugged him. This was going to be one complicated mess to untangle.

«How could you just leave me like that? You were fighting Team Blast, weren't you? Is that the reason you left me? » she inquired with a fiery look in her eyes.

«Hum… yeah. »

He anticipated the hit, but that did not allow him to see it. Lightning fast, she smacked him behind the head.

«You idiot! Both me and Brock already fought by your side! You should have trusted us! »

The criticism stroke Ash more surely than any mallet she could have used. It was true; he could have just chosen to tell her instead of leaving her in the dark. But she confessed to him! How was he supposed to react? He couldn't just say: «Sorry to tell you, but you know that confidence you made to a pikachu… well, that pikachu is exactly the person you wanted to tell and the one that looks like him is just a shapeshifter. »

«Tell her. » Genno said, still red like a tomato.

Ash looked at him with round eyes. What was he thinking saying that in front of everyone?

The lack of reaction put some light on it. He had done it before, he probably just said «Pikachu» like he was calling his pokemon, but only them could tell the real meaning of it.

Ash stayed completely still. Should he tell them? Misty looked so happy. Did he have to destroy that happiness after he betrayed her? But… letting her in the dark any longer would not end well, considering Genno's face. He shouted to cover the raising discussions.

«Please…. Misty, I have something to tell you. » he wrote.

«What is it, Ashchu? »

Ash sighted. He had to do this!

«My name is not Ashchu... and I'm not a real pikachu. »

Blaine snapped his fingers, whispering a quiet «I knew it. ».

«Then, who are you? » Misty inquired.

«I'm… »

They all looked at the pokemon hesitating over the keyboard. Genno and Pikachu approached him, offering their support.

«You don't need to… » Pikachu said.

«It is your choice alone. If you think it's better not to… » Genno added.

«No. I have to do this. Thanks for the support, guys. »

He took one deep breath.

«Ash Ketchum. »

Misty was just like a statue, one of a depressed artist. The shock was just too much.

«That's… no… just… how could?... I…. it's… »

«It happened about two months ago. »

Misty turned to Genno, with a desperate pleading in her voice.

«That's not true. That pikachu is just lying… he has to be! »

«He's… not. I'm a ditto, I copied Ash's body. He's the real deal. »

Misty stopped. This was… mad! Ash was a pikachu? There was a ditto impersonating him? How could she believe any of that?

But deep inside, she knew it to be true. There was just something about Ashchu that made her falter. He was the exact copy of Ash when he had been turned into a pikachu. She had doubts before, they had been confirmed.

Her eyes fell on Alexchu.

He remembered what Ash said minutes ago.

«…and this little guy on my head is my son: Alexchu. »

His son. He had a son.

She felt nauseous. Ash had betrayed her. He had been unfaithful, with a pikachu to add insult to the injury! That giggling pichu was proof of her world breaking apart.

«I… will go check the storage. We should make sure that we have enough supplies. » she pathetically declared.

«Misty… » Ash pleaded.

She turned to him.

Ash felt his heart break. Misty was not crying, she was that strong. Cerulean City's gym leader was just looking at him. Without a word, he understood the depth of her pain and his guilt came back stronger than ever. She felt betrayed. She felt hatred.

A hatred for Ash.

When she left the room, Ash was sitting, Alex on his belly.

The baby pokemon repeatedly screamed as loud as his tiny lungs could. He did not understand the situation. He could only feel his father's sorrow.

«Chu! Chu chu chu! CHUUUUU! »

Alex continued no matter how still his father was. The pichu didn't like to see Ash like that. He wanted him to feel better, but his efforts were vain.

Ash was crying.


	36. Feelings

**Poke-genetics: feelings**

If it wasn't for Alexchu's yelling, it would be completely silent.

They were all under the shock of what happened. They were trying to digest all those unexpected twists. Someone was unable to.

«Ash… » Pikachu whispered.

He did not answer.

One of his friend looked at him. It was something he thought would happen for a long time, only in different circumstances. He had traveled with the two of them for a long time, being the first to witness love slowly blooming between them, first in Misty, then, much later, in Ash. Both of them never acknowledged those feelings, Ash being as obvious as a ten-year old boy could be, Misty being a bit too proud and tomboyish to admit it. He was ready for this kind of thing, he predicted they would happen.

«I will go speak with her. » Brock declared.

He left, nobody bothering to even interrupt him. What would be the point? As strong as Misty pretended to be, she was clearly hurt.

Surge didn't like this turn of event.

«Okay, now that the melodrama is over, why don't we think about something important? Like who is that Ash! »

The gym leaders stared at Genno in suspicion. The teenager only mildly appreciated being observed that intensively by professional trainers.

«My name is Genno Avery. »

«Avery…» the lieutenant began until comprehension lit his eyes. «You're…! »

«The son of Team Blast's current leader? Yeah, that's me. »

Instantly, the man moved and held him by the shirt. His face was extremely severe.

«I don't trust you. »

«Neither do I. » Genno replied with an icy tone.

Vermillion City's gym leader looked even more angry, if that was possible.

«WHAT? » he shouted.

«You really proved you were willing to fight Team Blast when you… oh wait, that's right, you haven't done anything! You just sat in your gym waiting for things to get better. At least, we have tried something. Because of us, Team Blast's only scientist is my father and since he is in charge of Team Blast, he probably has a lot less time experimenting than he wished. As far as I'm concerned, your only redeeming feature is that you're actually planning to do something. » Genno explained, just as cold as a blizzard attack.

«You little… » Surge muttered between his teeth, enraged. «You may have taken action, but you have also condemned innocents! »

A part of Genno was screaming in exasperation. No seriously, did he have to walk around with a «The kids are not lost forever! » sign on his head? That would kind of defeat the purpose of hiding the fact from Team Blast, but he sure wouldn't have to repeat the same thing over and over again.

The rest of him shunned him for his egoism. «So you have to explain to a few people that the kids they love or swore to protect are okay? What a tragedy. » His mind was a strange place sometimes.

His respect for Surge increased as he saw the genuine concern in his voice.

«The kids are all okay. We gathered them with a powder made to attract pokemon and hid them in a secret location. They are being taken care of by friends. »

The tension in the basement suddenly dropped. Their reliefs showed on their faces. Even Surge looked less severe. With a strange grin that could pass for a smile, he said.

«Hum… I think I like you. »

«What? » Genno exclaimed in astonishment.

«You think like an officer in the army. You have an objective and you follow it, but you don't give up on anyone, even if that means everyone has to live hard times. » Surge explained.

That left Genno to wonder. He never considered himself like that. Was he a soldier or a scientist? He hoped he was more the latter than the former, but somewhere he wondered if both were not a bit too similar…

* * *

Misty was looking at the cardboard boxes in silence. She could not bring herself to do what she pretended to go for. She was overwhelmed by contradictory thoughts.

«He… betrayed me… or did he? We were not in a relationship or something… Then again, he told me to wait for him to come back. He sounded like he loved me, but couldn't tell me… Wait! He was already a pikachu at that time! So it was that… ditto… that told me. Were those Ash's feelings or its own? »

She took her head in her hands. Argh, this was so complicated. Couldn't she have a normal relationship?

«Even if it was Ash talking that time, it doesn't change a thing: he has a son. Does he… love that kid's mother? For him to have a child, unless he was lucky (or unlucky), sleeping with her once would not be enough, would it? »

She felt like laughing. The guy she loved was always obsessed with pokemon. For him to become one and get a family of pokemon was deeply ironic… somehow.

«Was it because of me? Did I do something wrong? »

«No, you did not. » someone behind her said.

She jumped in surprise.

«Brock? »

«It looked to me like you might need help «to make sure there are enough supplies». » he explained.

«… I don't really need help to do that. »

«Really? You sure look like you do. Care to share your thoughts with an old friend? »

«…I just don't know about me and Ash anymore. Is it just… » she hesitated.

«Well, this is normal. You ARE in a weird mess. »

«Thanks for the information Brock, I couldn't have guessed! » Misty replied, a bit aggressive this time. «I mean, the guy I love turns out to have been a pikachu for around two months, during which I met him while he still didn't tell me a thing and he found the time to have a kid! How is that supposed to be anything but messed up? »

«Misty… »

Her armor cracked. A few tears appeared in the corner of her eyes and her voice was sometimes wavering.

«Does he not… love me? I thought that… we were made for one another. Was that just a fantasy on my side? Was this his way of telling me he doesn't want me…? » she whispered in pain.

«Misty! How can you think that? »

«I don't know what to think anymore… »

«Misty, the ditto has explained everything to me. None of it has to do with a possible lack of love for you. The reason they didn't tell us was that they didn't want us to worry. At that time, they were about to visit a famous poke-geneticist that could most likely solve their problem. Unfortunately, Team Blast kidnapped that man before he could help them. After that, they swore to fight Team Blast and Ash was too worried about you to involve you in the fight. There again, things went much worse than they imagined. As for the pichu, Alexchu… it wasn't Ash's will. »

«What do you mean? » she said, hope and suspicion mixed within her tone.

«Misty, have you ever showed interest in pokemon breeding? » he asked awkwardly.

«No, that's your thing. »

«Well, pokemon sexuality is not the same as humans. For them, it is entirely a matter of pheromone. Two pokemon of opposite gender would live their whole life together without having any relationship if it wasn't for that. »

«What are you trying to say? Do you want to give an excuse to Ash? Is that what he told you? » she spit with a bit of venom.

«Misty… of all people, you know that Ash wouldn't want to give an excuse for his behaviors. He's the one that's crying on his loss and guilt, you know? I'm just trying to explain the truth to you. Ash had no control over his body that night. It was probably even worse because he had just become a pikachu. It was not something he wanted. Can you trust him on that? »

Misty looked down. What was she supposed to believe in? She wanted to trust Ash, but it hurt so much. He had a son with another and that was a fact that was never going to change. Did he even really love her at some point in their lives?

«He loves you. » Brock told her with certainty.

He had. Her memory of their day together returned to her. She had spent a really nice moment in Viridian City with him and Brock and Pikachu and… that ditto, whoever he really was. But more importantly, she remembered that night on the balcony of the hotel, when whispering to the darkness, she had woken up what she thought was just a pikachu. She had opened her heart to Ash! She had told him everything while he was a pikachu!

And he had cried in her arms.

At that time, she was unsure of the pokemon's reaction, but now she knew: Ash loved her back. He was unable to tell her, he was letting her be sad, he cried for her and them.

And the next day, he had stepped in before she confessed!

The pikachu had been so aggressive, because it was Ash and he didn't want her to confess to another man!

The emptiness in her chest disappeared, filled with a warm feeling. It was true, Ash did love her. At least, back then. Now, if she wanted to live with herself, there was only one thing to do.

Brock witnessed the light coming back to Misty's eyes. He saw her composure straighten as she regained confidence and strength.

«Let's go see the others, Brock. I need to speak to Ash. »

* * *

Genno got out of the bedroom that Pikachu and him had brought Ash into. Their friend was not feeling well, but he insisted on being alone with Alexchu. There was not much they could do to change his mind on that. He wanted to reflect on his situation. It was a right they did not intend to deny him, even if it pained them to see his suffering.

«What is your plan? » Genno asked the gym leaders.

A hesitation went through their rank but Surge nodded at them and Koga stood up.

«We are going to sever Team Blast's head and free their remaining hostages. »

Genno looked skeptical but he remained silent.

«We intend to infiltrate their hideout with two different groups. The first group will have the task to discover the place where the children and the officers are held hostages. The other group will go after Jonathan Avery. We need to pluck out both the head and the shield of Team Blast. After that, people will finally enact their revenge against them. »

«IF they enact any revenge at all… we can't be sure they will and we shouldn't rely too much on their will to fight. » interrupted Genno, bitter.

«We understand that you had to deal with them, but trust us, they are doing it to free their loved ones. They will take that opportunity to be free. » Koga answered.

The teenager stayed silent, but his expression was more skeptical than ever.

Pikachu, however, had an important question to ask.

«How do you plan to enter the hideout? »

Genno repeated his words.

«This is the hard part. We are not sure which mean we should use to infiltrate their place. We could disguise as members, infiltrate with a powerful pokemon capable of using dig or just hack into their systems. »

«Hum… there is a more effective way to enter their headquarters… » Genno said slowly.

«What would it be? » Erika asked.

«Actually, I'm not absolutely sure it could work. The best would be to test it, but we need Jenny and Sabrina to come back first. »

* * *

In the room, Ash was thinking with Alex clinging to him. He was confused. Misty hated him, didn't she? He deserved it… but it was not easier to live because of that. If anything, it made it harder. His son was looking at him without understanding why his father was acting so weird. Usually, he would always try to do his best to make Alex's days the brightest he could, but he had trouble mastering the necessary strength now.

«Alex… » he whispered.

The door of the room slowly opened.

«Guys… please leave me alone. I need to think about this. »

But it was not Pikachu or Genno. It was Misty.

«We need to talk. » she declared.


	37. Preparing

**Poke-genetics: preparing**

Ash stared at her, unable to answer.

«I thought about all of this and if we don't talk now, we're not going to make it. »

He nodded slowly, holding Alex that wanted to take a close look at the strange person. That strange thing was a human, he knew that much, but he wanted to understand why his dad was so weird with her around.

Misty looked at the small pokemon with a sad smile.

«He really does look like you. » she said while stroking his head.

«He does… » Ash muttered.

«Ash… I know I can't understand what you say, but… in a way, that's exactly what I want. »

He could not hide his interrogative look.

«…What? »

She chuckled lightly and that sound was melody to Ash's ears. He just wanted things to be better, to give Misty reasons to laugh, not to cry.

«I mean that I don't want to hear anything resembling an excuse or an explanation, Brock gave me those. From you, I just want answers, crystal clear answers. »

«That's kind of hard to do when you can't understand a word I say… » Ash stated.

«Yeah, that was not crystal clear at all. But… nodding your head is good enough. »

A yes or a no. It was true; Ash was forced to give an absolute answer without any mean to moderate his words.

«Ash… do you still love me? » she asked.

«Yes. » he showed.

She felt warmth in her, a tender warmth embracing her heart.

«I love you too. » she whispered.

He felt his lungs emptied themselves. He wanted to speak, but it would be useless. He wanted to tell her again, to yell his love for her.

«I love you Misty. » he said in the same loving tone.

Their eyes were wet with tears of joy. They both felt the same way. Their feelings had not faded.

But there was a shadow in Misty's happiness.

«Ash… » she began, hesitant to break their joy. «if… no… when… you'll find your son's mother… what will you do? »

A thick silence fell on them. Even Alex stopped moving, sensible to his father's emotions.

«Will you stay with her? »

Ash breathed heavily. What would he do indeed? He could not refuse to raise Alex, but… did he have the right to refuse that to his mother?

Of course not, so what? He could not let Alex grow up without both his parents; he knew too well how lonely it is, but what could he do?

«Ash, it all comes down to this. If you are given the choice, will you change back? »

* * *

«I do not know how the ability works exactly, but… in both case, we should be able to enter the hideout easily. » Genno finished to explain.

«Hum… your idea is quite interesting I must say, but there is a big problem: if it is the latter, we would need to fight to get to the children and to your father… » Koga remarked.

«I don't have anything against a fight, but we should not engage in hundreds against eight. We need to make sure that no one notices us. At least until we get our hands on Jonathan Avery. He is the key to our success. »

«I don't know, Surge. » Blaine objected. «Team Blast lost its leader once and is as strong as before. Having their new leader might not give us an absolute advantage like you seem to think.»

«True enough, though it may be true if there is no one ready to take the job. Jonathan Avery actually plotted to become Team Blast's leader, if we can trust anything you say… Genno. »

Genno shot him a firm look. Justified suspicion was alright, nothing more.

«You can. I was there with Ash and Pikachu. Marco's subordinate betrayed him and her previous boss to give him Team Blast. It was plotted and I doubt there will be anyone else to take over if he's gone. Giovanni would have liked to, but, after being in their hands for so long, I doubt we'd recognize him even if he was just in front of us. »

«In that case, we must decide on how to act once we get there. The idea has been decided but we need to establish a much more firm plan. » Koga stated.

«We need to decide which ones of us are going on which team. » Erika said.

«We already decided on that, didn't we? » Blaine asked with a raised eyebrows.

«Erika's right. With Genno, Pikachu and Ash in our hands, there might be a need to change the teams. » Surge replied.

«You should not count Ash. He may not act if it's too dangerous. He can't leave his son alone. » Genno said.

They considered that point. In all fairness, it was completely legitimate, but it was a bit inconvenient.

«What were the original teams? » Pikachu asked, translated by Genno.

«Erika, Koga, Jenny and Brock will be the rescue team. They will find the children and the officers and free them. Me, Blaine, Misty and Sabrina will go after Jonathan. » Koga said.

«Jenny will take control of the officers and coordinate them just in case there is a fight, Brock can use his steelix to dig a way out of the hideout and escape, Koga will be needed if they need to find hiding place while they are in the wild and Erika's pokemon can use spore attacks, useful against groups of enemies in case of a chase. » Surge explained.

Both Pikachu and Genno nodded, impressed by their management, even if there was something they didn't understand.

«Why don't you ask Sabrina to use Teleport to get away instantly instead of this? »

«It's too much. There are too many people there. We tested it and Sabrina's alakazam can't sustain that many Teleport without collapsing of exhaustion. Plus, while it is true that it can transport many at a times, it's much more tiring. »

«Even with two alakazams? » Genno insisted.

«Yes. Usually, five people are a big number for Teleport. There are at least an hundred in there that needs to be rescued. »

They could see Genno clinch his fists in frustration. It would have been so much more simple if they could have use the move to escape.

«And… the… other team? » he struggled to say.

«We made it this way just to balance things up a little. Our team will go directly for Jonathan and do not need particular abilities, just strength. » Surge finished.

«I see… in that case, we should go with your team, Surge. We could not add anything to the rescue team and I'd like to be one of those that will bring my father down. »

At this last part, Pikachu looked worriedly at his friend. This was not good.

«…I guess you're right… » Surge admitted.

«Then, it's settled. Genno and Pikachu will participate in the team going for Jonathan Avery. » Brock stated.

As the gym leaders and Genno finally relaxed, done with the enervating question, a voice interrupted.

«I'd like to be in on this too. »

Only Pikachu and Genno understood.

«Ash! » they exclaimed.

He was waiting next to the door of the room he was in earlier. The former trainer had heard a good part of the conversation and made his decision.

His friends all noticed something was off. There was an empty look in his eyes and Alexchu was nowhere to be seen.

«What are you saying? » Pikachu asked, incredulous.

As he got closer, he didn't look anywhere but at the ground.

«Are you serious? » Genno added.

Ash suddenly turned to him.

«I am! »

They failed to understand.

«But… Alex… »

«…Is counting on me, I know. I understand that, but this is also something I have to do. »

«What are you saying…? » Pikachu muttered.

«I'm saying that I am going to fight for my son's future just like everyone else here. » Ash continued, not backing down.

It was then that Misty got out of the room. She looked calm, serene, but not happy. It was more of a calm acceptance.

Both Pikachu and Genno were struck by comprehension.

«Are you saying this because of your conversation with Misty? » Pikachu inquired.

Ash turned his head and crossed his arms.

«This has nothing to do with it. »

«Ash…»

«I'm serious! When I say that this is something I must do for Alex, I mean it. I have to play my part in this too! My role as a parent is to protect him, to be there for him, but also to make sure that there is a bright future ahead of him. Without both his parents, there will always be something missing for him. I promised to save his mother… I need to be a part of the defeat of Team Blast. »

They stayed silent. They could not find the right words. He was right in his own way, but they were unsure about this.

«You can't leave Alex alone. He's too young. » Genno reminded.

«He's asleep currently and he should not wake up until the end of the operation. »

«Still, you can't just let a baby like him here without anyone to look for him. » Pikachu protested.

«I know that too… that's why I ask you to stay with him, Pikachu. »

He was stunned. He had not seen it coming.

«But… »

«Please, pal, you're the one that knows how to take care of him the best and that Alex appreciates the most. Can you do this for me? » Ash solemnly asked.

Pikachu could see how important it was for his trainer to be a part of this fight. He was always that kind of person before. Refusing was not something he could honestly do to his trainer.

With a wavering voice, he agreed.


	38. Battle

**Poke-genetics: battle**

They were operating the new computers. Since that incident with the pikachu, they had to replace every single data file previously owned. The big problem was that most of them were completely lost. Jonathan, however, didn't accept that answer, demanding that they somehow find a way.

They sighted. Jonathan was a competent leader, but he lacked some of Marco Blaze's charisma.

Nonetheless, they continued to work, hoping that their previous leader would soon be well enough to return.

The operators were suddenly blinded by a flash of light. Before their sight returned, they heard a man's voice.

«Thunder! »

Lightning filled the computer room, destroying the machines for the second time.

An alakazam floated to the middle of the room. It shot a look at the unconscious members and turned to the others. He nodded slowly before he disappeared again.

Surge, Blaine, Sabrina and Misty cautiously examined their surroundings. Surge's raichu knocked out all the members in the room and the computers were all unusable. They called out their pokemon.

In a few seconds, a magmortar and another alakazam appeared at their sides.

After a second Teleport, all the gym leaders, Jenny, Genno and Ash were in the computer room.

They had a brief talk. Surge gave them a last second reminder.

«Okay, everyone, we need to speak quickly. Rescue team, Pikachu said he smelled younger humans in that direction. Sabrina, remember that you must keep your Alakazam healthy enough to use a powerful teleport if necessary. Koga, you are responsible for the stealth of your team. It is crucial that no one finds you before it's too late. Our team will make sure that no one we meet gives off the alert. No matter what happens, each team must carry out their objectives. Let's go! »

They separated into their respective teams immediately. Genno, back in Ash's body, and Ash, as a determined pikachu, were heading toward the door on the other side of the computer lab.

As he looked at the fried machines, Genno felt a wave of satisfaction rush into him. It was the second time that they destroyed Team Blast's database. He also breathed a single sight of relief. He knew for sure he could use Teleport while he was an alakazam, but he had no idea if it would allow him to bring everyone to a place he had only been as a human. Luckily for them, it worked… just like the time they escaped that way.

Surge was the first to reach the door. Without a single moment of hesitation, he swung the door open, revealing another enormous room.

They stopped when they saw that there were a dozen of doors on their right and left. Right in front of them, there was a single black and red door.

«Which one should we take? » Genno asked with urgency. «It's not supposed to be this obvious, right?»

The former soldier frowned. This reminded him of something…

Ash took a deep breath. This attracted Genno's attention, thinking Ash was trying to calm down to think.

He was wrong. Ash had learned to use his pikachu senses to his advantage.

He pointed to the black and red door.

«Your father's definitely behind that one... and …! »

«What is it? » Genno urged.

He received his answer when said door opened. A slim blond woman sneaked out of it.

Janes.

When she saw them, she expressed surprise for the first time. It only last a second however, afterward, her usual predator smile returned.

«Oh my, it seems like a few rats found their way in. How did you do it? »

«If you think we're stupid enough to tell you, think again! » Surge replied rudely.

«You probably didn't use the ventilation system again… not with the new booby traps inside… » she pondered as if she hadn't heard Vermillion City's gym leader.

Her fake pensive look disappeared when she realized a lightning bolt was heading for her.

With her extraordinary strength, she jumped out of the way, avoiding the hit by a few inches.

«Aggressive, aren't you, Ash? Do you miss that poor female that much? »

A yellow blur flashed in the leaders' eyes as they saw Ash sprint toward her.

«Sabrina! » Genno yelled.

The gym leader just nodded and both her pokemon's and her eyes turned blue.

Both Ash and Janes stopped moving at the same time. They had been paralyzed by the psychic powers of Sabrina and of her alakazam.

In midair, Ash was furiously trying to get control of his body again. That woman… It was that woman! She had taken his son's mother! He had to get her!

With colossal effort, he managed to struggle a little and a pinch of pain stung his neck.

Shocked, he looked down and gasped. Janes was holding a knife toward him. Had they not stop him…

They moved him back, not letting go of the psychic attack. While Genno and Misty stayed where they were and grabbed him, Surge, Blaine and Sabrina went over to Janes.

«I'd normally say that we've got a valuable hostage, but… I've heard a lot about you, missy. » Surge said, looming over her.

She looked back at him with a mocking expression. No doubt that she'd have laughed at them had she been able to speak, but the control over her body was complete.

Or was it?

Pouring her strength into that single thing, she whispered with an extremely authoritative voice:

«Dragonite… waste them! »

The three gym leader were sent flying backward. The dragonite came out of his pokeball with a rumble of thunder.

«MISTRESS! » he roared.

And he shot his most devastating Dragon rage at Sabrina's pokemon.

Concentrated, the psychic type couldn't dodge in time.

«Don't look awayyyy… » a cheerful voice said to the other gym leaders.

Three more flashes of light came from her position.

Her team was standing next to her and she had her hands to her neck.

«That's one stiff neck I'll get because of that psychic. Why don't you pay her back, along with all her little friends? » she asked her pokemon.

«Like we'll let you! » yelled Surge. «Raichu, THUNDER! »

As the raichu charged his power, he was tackled by Dragonite.

«Raichu! »

«Magmortar, now! » Blaine ordered.

The fire type launched a bunch of fireballs toward Janes which barely gave them any attention.

«Tyrannitar… » she said simply.

It promptly moved and intercepted the attack with a powerful Flamethrower.

«Now, now, don't tell me that's the best you can do… » Janes taunted.

«No, it's not! » yelled someone from the back of the room.

They all turned toward Misty.

Their eyes opened wide in surprise. Her Gyarados was howling in rage.

«Hydropump! »

«Ash! » Genno said as he morphed.

His friend nodded and both pikachu yelled:

«CHUUUUUUUUUU! »

The attacks combined, creating a torrent of water furiously spinning and carrying electricity.

Janes suddenly looked less confident. She quickly gave her order.

«Dragonite, Tyranitar, Hyper beam! »

The two pseudo-legendaries opened their mouth and charged their attack.

«Raichu! Now! » urged Surge.

«You too, Magmortar! » Blaine added.

They both sent their attack, hoping to stop Janes's pokemon before they could counterattack.

«Alakazam! » Janes yelled.

The lightning bolt and the fire balls slowed in midair and stopped.

«Counter it, Alakazam! » Sabrina shouted.

The attacks suddenly accelerated.

«Too late. » Janes smiled.

The Hyper beams were launched and headed toward the electrified Hydropump.

While everyone's eyes were turning to the devastating attacks, Janes reacted.

«Tyranitar, Sandstorm! »

It immediately obeyed, blocking Raichu's and Magmortar's assault just in time.

The hydropump and the hyper beams clashed, creating a devastating explosion. Ash and Misty covered their eyes, unable to see through the screen of smoke that had resulted. When the smoke finally faded, the gym leaders could see a small tornado of sand moving around Janes's team.

Under the raging sound of the wind, they heard a distinct order.

«Tyranitar… stop holding back. »

The sandstorm looked like it exploded. A wall of sand flew toward them, knocking them back a few meters.

In the middle of a cloud of dust, Ash heard a distinct noise: rapid steps.

A few meters away, Genno was looking at his surroundings with his ditto eyes.

«Holy…! MISTY! LOOK OUT! »

Unable to see, Misty only heard a pikachu screaming.

Then she felt strong arms holding her.

* * *

The dust fell down, almost all gone, finally letting the gym leaders see. A terrible sight awaited them: Janes was holding Misty hostage, a knife under her throat.

«Ah, such nice expressions on your faces… I love it. » she noticed with ecstasy.

She shouldn't have. It distracted her long enough for Ash to jump behind her. Janes only heard the buzzing noise too late. She moved instinctively.

The Iron tail hit her on the left shoulder and she let go of Misty.

«Take that! » he yelled, preparing for another hit.

Janes rolled on the floor despite her shoulder, this time dodging completely. Ash was not going to let her go; he charged some electricity in his cheeks.

As he released it, a blur of orange stepped between them and blocked the attack.

«Move! » Ash ordered.

«I won't let you near my mistress! » the dragonite roared.

Unbeknownst to the now fighting pokemon, Surge made a sign toward Blaine who nodded.

At the same time, both gym leaders ran toward the door Janes had gotten out of. Their pokemon ran at their side, racing to the door.

«How naïve. » Janes commented.

A veil of sand appeared in front of them, effectively stopping right in their track.

«Tch. Raichu, Hyper beam! » Surge shouted.

The attack went through the sandstorm, hitting Tyranitar perfectly.

«Good, now let's… WOAH! »

A glowing tail swiped Raichu and almost got him at the same time. He ducked before the tyranitar's tail could hit him.

«What? »

«Did you think you could take her down with one hit? » gleefully asked Janes.

«No. » Surge replied with a grin.

«Fire Blast! » Blaine ordered his magmortar.

«Dark pulse! » Janes said.

The attack clashed.

Sabrina used this opportunity to try to get into the office, but Janes's alakazam appeared in front of her, using psychic. Her pokemon counterattacked with its own psychic and they stared at each other, their eyes glowing with power. They had reached a stalemate.

While Dragonite was faring off against Ash, Misty and Genno, Janes ran to her other pokemon's sides, defending her boss's office.

«I'm afraid I can't let you pass, Jonathan hates unexpected visits. » she explained almost politely.

Surge was attending to his raichu while Blaine was still trying to overpower Tyranitar.

«Seems like they're evenly matched… » Janes observed.

«Not for long! Raichu, thunderbolt! »

The electric attack shocked the tyranitar and the magmortar finally got the upper hand.

The fire blast attack detonated and the explosion actually caused Janes to let out a single scream of pain. At that, Dragonite immediately stopped fighting and flew toward her at full speed.

Genno turned to Ash.

«Now is our chance! »

They poured their strength in their lower body and launched themselves like rockets with Quick attack.

Janes only caught a glimpse of two yellow flashes followed by white as they slipped through her guard. She was even hit by Ash's Iron tail as he passed her by. The hit made the right side of her face red and she felt a little dizzy. Before she could get back her balance, Genno had already transformed and opened the door, most probably locking it behind him.

The remaining trainers all bore face of triumph.

«We did it! » Misty said.

«You've failed, Janes. » Surge added, rubbing it in her face.

They saw her falter. She looked shaken, as if she didn't understand the meaning of those words. Then, she began to chuckle. A light, joyful, crystalline chuckle at first... but in seconds, it turned into a mad laugh that brought shiver to her opponents.

When she was finished, she wiped a tear off her cheek and looked at the gym leaders.

«I've failed? It depends on the point of view I guess. Your goal was apparently to reach Jonathan… and make him… your hostage… or stuff like that I suppose. Now then… if that was your objective, what is mine? » she asked with a dangerous smile.


	39. Victory?

**Poke-genetics: victory?**

They entered the room.

The place gave a sickening feeling to Genno. It was here that he learned of his dad's true nature. It was in this very room that most of his life had crumbled away. He hated this place.

«Hello, Genno. » a familiar voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Genno looked at the man sitting behind Marco's desk: his father, a grin of satisfaction on his face.

«Dad… » he began with a cracking voice.

However, the hyperactive part of his brain sent him a weird message.

«Since when do you smoke? » he asked, incredulous and perfectly aware of how ridiculous he sounded.

His father was indeed holding a cigar in his right hand, which was the first time he showed interest in something like smoking. Ash shot a completely baffled look at Genno for his lack of serious in such a crucial moment.

«Oh, I found these in one of Marco's drawers and I thought they could be useful. »

The last part of his sentence rang a bell to Genno's ears. He realized the danger with a shiver.

«Ash! Thunderbolt him now! » he shouted.

Ash followed his order and sparkles flew on his cheeks when Jonathan's calm voice interrupted.

«I wouldn't do that if I were you. »

Genno and Ash saw with growing horror that he had threw his cigar upward.

Toward the sprinklers.

A rain of water fell on them.

Shocked, Ash stopped under the smug smile Jonathan bore.

«Now, if you intended to use electric attacks, go ahead. Pure water may not conduct electricity, but I assure you this one is not pure. You will probably shock Genno just as badly as you shock me. »

«Ash! Do it anyway! » Genno urged.

After a second of hesitation, Ash nodded.

«…I was sure you'd try something funny no matter what, which is why I'm glad I could grab this before you entered. »

Jonathan stood up, revealing the gun he was holding in his left hand. He pointed the weapon at Ash and both teen froze in place.

«Now, I believe your goal was to make me your hostage by coming here, right? Well, this is my counterattack. I'm taking both of you hostages against the other. If you, Genno, transform to become immune to electric attack, I'll shoot Ash. If you, Ash, try to attack me with a move such as Thunder, you'll also attack your friend. Basically, this is what I like to call checkmate. »

* * *

Koga was leading their group and the task was even more hazardous than it should have. Thrice they had to put an enemy to sleep before it could alert the whole base.

He wiped off a few drops of sweat and concentrated on his task. His crobat was silently flying over his head, using echolocation to observe their surroundings.

He observed his pokemon movements, understanding its body language. The next corridor was definitely empty and there was no one behind them.

«Great, we can use some good news. » he thought.

Behind him, Erika, Brock and Jenny were trying to figure out the reason for his unexpected smile. Jenny, especially, was not in the mood for this. She had a bad feeling about this place.

«Koga… » she whispered. «Is the perimeter clear? »

Jenny was trying to slow her breathing. She had to calm down. She was a police officer and she was following her lost love's philosophy. She'd change this world for the better by saving Team Blast's victims.

It was on this positive thought that she heard a subtle, muffled voice.

«Get down! » she yelled.

A blade of silver wind flew just over Erika's head, luckily pulled down by Jenny.

Koga shot a look behind them. There was a golbat flying at the end of the corridor, using echolocation as well.

«Oh no! » the ninja trainer shouted. «We've been discovered! »

And hell broke loose.

«What do you mean? » Misty asked, scared of the answer.

«What do I mean? » Janes repeated, just like a chatot. «Exactly what I said: you considered I lost, which is ridiculous, since you do not know my goal. »

«What are your objectives? » Surge yelled.

«Forgetting your own taunts? Weren't you the one to say: «Do you think we're stupid enough to tell you? »? Don't worry though, I will tell you, as I'm sure you'll all look lovely in a minute. »

A dark tension fell upon the room. Janes was fully enjoying this delicacy known as fear.

«When he took control of Team Blast, Jonathan Avery gave me a very special order. He asked me to bring him his son and the trainer turned into a pikachu. »

They were white.

«So… what do you think I did after I pressed the alarm button? I let them bypass me and get to Jonathan. They used that moment of distraction really well, I was surprised by their quick reaction, but in the end, the result is the same. Jonathan has his two tests subjects at his mercy.»

A horrific detail jumped at Surge's eyes.

«You… gave the alert? » he articulated with difficulty. «When…? »

Janes's eyes were filled with her madness as she shivered in pleasure at the sound of the broken spirit.

«When I pressed my neck. Our uniforms are a bit special. They come with a hidden emergency button in our collars, a small camera and a shocker. If the button is pressed, all other uniforms in a certain range emit a shock and inform the members of an emergency and the camera sends images to Marco's office. Marco thought that big red flashy lights were cool, but not as cool as the face of his opponents when they realized they were discovered without them knowing. I must say… I agree! » she explained with a twisted smile.

«We won't give up! » Surge suddenly denied angrily.

«You should. » she simply said while snapping a finger.

The doors on their right and left all opened, revealing the few higher ranked members getting out of their individual chambers.

* * *

Genno was thinking as fast as he could. What should he do? What COULD he do? A single movement would result in Ash being shot. Even if Ash understood his will to take down his father with him if necessary, he could not reasonably act without being noticed by his father.

«Genno, it has been such a long time since I saw that highly active brain of yours in action. Are you trying to come up with a plan to prevent me from knocking the both of you unconscious? Do you plan to delay everything so that your friends could try to rescue you? No matter how much effort you put into it, it won't work. It's futile, Genno. » his father explained.

«No, it's not. » Genno replied, having found an idea. «You said checkmate, but you're wrong. This is just check. While you prevent the both of us from moving, you can't put your threat to execution without losing. If you attack Ash, I'll get you. The opposite is also true. We're only in a stalemate. »

Ash was listening attentively without losing focus of Jonathan's weapon. Genno was right; he had to wait for his chance. He was worried to observe a satisfied expression on the scientist's face.

«A very good analysis, Genno. It makes no doubt you inherited my intelligence. »

As Genno felt nauseous at the pride in his voice, his father slowly moved his left hand toward the pocket of his jacket.

«However… you talk as if I have only one weapon… »

His arm sprung itself at lightning speed and they could only see briefly a small tube of glass flying. The liquid it contained splashed Genno's face and the test tube broke itself on the metallic ground.

«This isn't… » Genno began.

His voice stopped dead in its track. Ash realized with horror that his friend's cheeks were twisted as he was holding back something.

He screamed in agony. The teen fell on the floor, his hands reaching for his face.

«GENNO! » Ash yelled.

He was rolling on the floor, screaming. His whole body was sending him waves of pain! What was happening to him? He screamed louder, his voice about to break. His back arched itself and he screamed again.

Jonathan looked at his tortured son with a grim interest.

«Hum… the process looks even more painful than I predicted. » he noted.

Genno was crying. It was too much; his whole body was slowly burning from the inside, he was being stabbed by a thousand swords, he was being torn apart by lightning! He could not take it… he wished for all his heart for it to stop, no matter what was the end!

«You see, my son? It is important not to underestimate your enemies. The wisest will hide their trump cards. This is mine. »

Horribly slowly, the pain faded, letting only an empty feeling in his mind. He felt terribly wrong.

«You might want to take a look at yourself. » his father politely remarked.

Fearing for the worst, he turned his head to look at his right arm.

It was still Ash's arm.

Then, he saw what his father did to him and some of his inner strength disappeared, just as easily as the small flame of a candle in the middle of a storm.

«This is a particular chemical product that I developed during the last few weeks. I know that its counterparts are a lot simpler to use, but I've found a few advantages to this. First, it does not take into account the physical strength of its target. Second, it leaves the body extremely tired. Third, it is completely unexpected. This is the why I think this stabilizer is a lot more efficient than a simple pokeball. »

The last word completely shocked Ash. If it had the same effect as a pokeball… that meant... Genno was stuck as a ditto forever!

His face was of a pale yellow color.

«It's…just like you… to invent something as crazy as that. » Genno hatefully said.

«Now, now, are we going to engage in another stupid debate about the value of science? Science is and will always be heartless. It's just a tool and I'm using it. What's wrong with that? »

«You're just a sorry old man. Science is as heartless as any abstract concept. It is your responsibility as a scientist to give it a heart! » Genno replied with burning convictions.

«A responsibility? That's cute. »

His anger seemed to fuel his strength as Genno stood up, unsteady but standing.

«No, it's not! That's something it seems you completely lost at some point. Responsibilities are something only a strong person can bear. You're weak! »

And in that last statement, he poured all his bitterness. Ash silently observed his friend.

Jonathan… was not in the least content with that comment.

«Weak? I'M weak? » he asked incredulously. « I don't remember ever hearing something that ridiculous before. I am at the head of the most powerful organization in Kanto and it had nothing to do with trust, heart or another stupidity. It was just wits and treachery. »

«You're not their true leader and you know it. They want Marco as their leader. They won't follow you forever… »

«That's where you're wrong. » Jonathan said with a smile.

He pushed a button on his desk and the door on their left opened. It was Marco's room.

They hazarded a look inside at Jonathan's insistence.

The bedroom seemed comfortable without being luxurious. The walls were red and black, contrasting with the rest of the base that was of a single metallic color, the furniture were following the same trend, even his bed.

He gasped in shock. It was… impossible.

Marco Blaze was sleeping in it!

Genno looked at his father's with round eyes and a gaping mouth.

«That's… not supposed… to… We saw you catch him with a pokeball! »

Jonathan could not show more evidently is triumph.

«True, but my poke-genetics genius knows no bound, you know? As for your previous arguments, I'd say that the members will follow me until Marco wakes up… which won't happen without the right medicine. »

That was just impossible. It went against all the others theories of poke-genetics made by his father himself. Even he was not that intelligent, it was just plainly impossible. It was as impossible as the sun plunging into the ocean.

«I see that you're quite shocked, my poor son. » Jonathan stated with a strange paternal tone. «Perhaps I could cheer you up a little. I will tell you the truth, I am impressed at the way you escaped both Janes and the brave citizens of Kanto. You used a double layer trap against her and tried to divert their attention with an improvised speech. Granted, it didn't work, but still, I'm sure a few people were moved by the nonsense you said. »

«It wasn't nonsense. » Genno protested.

He had thought every single word of it.

«Really? In that case, you are a bit of a hypocrite. » Jonathan stated, disappointed. «You said they were egoists for thinking about saving the ones they love. You said that they shouldn't sacrifice anyone, that you were right in fighting criminals regardless of your own security. Frankly, I'm surprised you found the strength to say such hypocrisy. You have no family yourself.»

Had Genno been struck by lightning, he wouldn't have looked more shocked.

His own father had told him he had no family. He really was alone this time.

«You were there preaching that they should disregard their children's suffering to fight, that they should not try anything that wasn't up to your standards. You are alone. You have no one you'd truly be heartbroken to lose. I may have been that person at some point, but you rejected me. You had no one else besides me, your mother and your grand-parents already passed away. You have no family, yet you can preach to others that do that they should be like you and fight. You have no idea what they are going through. Oh, sure, you can imagine how horrible it is, but you are not living it. You blamed them for pretending to be nice persons, right? Well, who blamed you for trying to drag everyone in a conflict where they might lose everything when there was no similar risk to you? Speak honestly; you went against Team Blast to save me in the first place, right? When it proved itself not to satisfy you as I was not like you wanted me to be, you decided to fight against Team Blast to defeat me, right? Where is all that selflessness that you so intensively demanded of others? »

His head was spinning. It was… true! Everything was true! He was a hypocrite, a liar. He felt disdain whenever someone was not fully giving their all to fight Team Blast while he only did for his own selfish reasons.

«Genno, don't look so shaken. You just realized that, deep down, you are the same as me. You don't really care for others. You want your own desires to be done and you will use others if necessary. »

He did.

«Now that you see the truth, let's experiment together again. Wouldn't you like things to be the same as before? Father and son, looking together at the secrets of poke-genetics. Isn't that what you want deep down inside you? »

Genno look at the ground. He did. He wished so many times for things to go back to the way they were before. He remembered the times where they were just the two of them, experimenting and having fun. If only…

Another memory replaced these precious moments: hundreds of unconscious pokemon supported by machines in a pokemon center. The atrocities Team Blast had caused came back to his mind: the face of John accusing him, Ash yelling to the sky after Alakazam had taken Alex's mother away, Sebstian Dexter's panicked expression as he was being turned into a pokemon, Jenny breaking down at Janes's taunts, the bruised bodies of the poke-geneticists when he rescued them, Misty's sadness when she learned the truth… so many images of torment, of pain were flashing before his eyes.

He could never take part in that. He was not that monstrous.

«No. What I want is for things to get better for everybody and that's all! We will defeat you! »

«A liar to the end… » Jonathan sighted. «Listen, son. This pathetic attack will have no effect. My superior genius has already coordinated members to take down every single one of your allies and don't think I didn't realized there were two teams. You want to free the children, I bet. Too bad, I sent a group of members with a few golbats to locate them with echolocation and jam their own pokemon's signal if they use some. Face it, it is your loss. »

As his words were pronounced, a massive rumble shook the whole room, throwing Jonathan off balance.

He didn't have the time to regain it as a powerful iron tail hit him in the middle of the chest.

Jonathan was sent flying and made contact with the walls brutally.

Genno saw Ash jumped toward his father. He saw the man that brought him up reacted almost too fast, as if he was not all that surprised, then again, it was his father. Jonathan raised his left arm too calmly, as if it was natural. He pulled the trigger.

«ASH! »

His friend fell on the ground, blood flowing through the hole in his chest.

* * *

Things were not looking good. Koga was trying to come up with a plan to escape the desperate situation they were in.

First, they were surrounded.

Second, their enemies had an unbelievable numeric advantage.

Third… did he really need to state a third reason? Not that there wasn't. They were extremely suspicious of Erika's pokemon and were working to prevent her from using spores attacks. It would have been a great way to get out of this mess.

They had erupted in large number in front and behind them as soon as the scout golbat's Silverwind failed. They all called their pokemon out, though Brock's steelix had trouble fitting in the corridor. The battle started out immediately and they defended their titles of gym leaders fiercely. They were not leaders for show. They proved it by the ferocity of their counterattack, but the members were always getting back-ups.

They were out of breath.

Brock's steelix had at one point roared in a terrific manner earlier before he unleashed a desperate attack and was sent against a wall, shaking Team Blast's hideout.

At that, the members became more cautious, proceeding more meticulously, trying to prevent another unexpected attack.

Jenny was the most determined fighter in the leaders' rank and her arcanine and gengar were feared by the criminals' pokemon.

«Arcanine, Extreme speed! Gengar, confuse ray! »

The two pokemon obeyed the commands, trying to avoid the multiple attacks going toward them. Unfortunately, they didn't succeed completely. Gengar was the first to go down. A powerful dark pulse had hit it in the back.

Jenny bit her lips; they were not going to win this one.

«Arcanin, Fire blast! »

The fire type move was countered by a hydropump from one of the members' pokemon.

It was hopeless.

The members were slowly showing their confidence, they were clearly winning. The gym leaders were fierce opponents, but an army got a job done much more efficiently.

«Surrender! You will be defeated anyway! » ordered a captain.

«NEVER! » replied Jenny, silently supported by her companions.

«It won't make a difference anyway. »

Jenny swipe a few drop of sweat from her forehead and readied herself for a last stand. They wouldn't go down so easily.

«Arcanine! Use Overheat! »

The fire type pokemon growled in intimidation as he readied his attack. The pokemon in front of it bore expression of defiance or fear.

The arcanine unleashed his overheat, throwing its last strength into it.

A member yelled to counter with hydropump.

The blast of fire met the torrent of water.

At that, a cloud of steam blocked everyone's sight, leaving them unsure of the results. Jenny was the first to see it. Her arcanine was on the floor, unconscious.

This was the last straw. There was nothing to try left. Even her last attempt failed miserably.

A satisfied smile found its place on the captain's face.

«I see you're more reasonable now. Perfect, in that case, take them to…»

He stopped.

They looked at him with perplexity. Then, they saw what he had.

A wall of fire surrounded the leaders and Jenny. The heat! The corridor's heat had started to increase after Brock's steelix had launched its last hit. Beyond the blinding light of the flames was their hope, their salvation. In the middle of the inferno, they were safe… except if they stayed there for too long. Too much heat was… not recommended by doctors.

After a few minutes of suffocating heat, the flames faded and the atmosphere suddenly cooled.

They had trouble believing their eyes.

«What are you doing here? » Jenny asked.

Jerry was grinning of savage satisfaction after paying back the criminals that tortured him. At his sides were an hundred growlithe, all showing their joy of being free and having their revenge at the same time.

«That's a lot of growlithes… » Brock remarked, baffled.

* * *

«Think Genno, think! Don't stand there without moving, DO SOMETHING! » he thought in panic.

Ash was lying on the ground, his yellow fur dirtied by the blood, his breathing loud and erratic.

Genno ran to him, ignoring his father completely. «CAN'T YOU USE YOUR BRAIN WHEN IT MATTERS? » he screamed mentally.

«An injury that serious will kill him. » Jonathan stated plainly.

No, no, no, no, no, NO! He had to do something, NOW! Didn't he think of a solution for something like that at least once?

He did.

Genno rapidly plunged his hand in his pockets, praying with all his might that he had actually put them there. His prayers were answered.

«I have no choice Ash! It's that or dying! » he said, just like a justification, as he took one out of his pocket.

Jonathan stared at the object with curiosity.

«You had one on you. I'm surprised. Why would you need that with you? »

He did not listen, instead he threw the pokeball at Ash.

He had no doubt it would work. Ash was too injured to fight against the process. His friend was absorbed in a ray of light inside the pink pokeball. The indicator only glowed once before locking on its target's DNA. Genno immediately took the item and hid it under his shirt.

«What are you trying to do here? » his father questioned as he stood up and walked toward his kneeing son. «Do you think that by hiding that pokeball under your clothes, your friend will be safe? That by capturing him with a pokeball, his injuries will magically disappear? Wake up, Genno, it doesn't work that way. »

Genno looked up to his father. This man had no remorse in shooting his son's best friend in front of him and was actually trying to discourage him from saving said friend. This was beyond sick. His face held the most arrogant smile he ever made.

«Pathetic! » he said in an ironic echo of his father's critics. «And you call yourself a poke-geneticist? »

The tone made Jonathan doubt and he subconsciously took a step backward.

Just as Genno was opening his mouth again, the small computer screen on Marco's desk displayed the face of a nervous member.

«Sir, the prisoners have escaped. All the policemen and women were freed and they attacked some members. Plus, they fled with the children. »

Seeing the face on his superior, the man lost the few nerves he still had and cut the conversation before he would be punished. Another truly infuriating event blown Jonathan's wrath out of proportion: Genno began to laugh madly.

His face red with anger, Jonathan grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him at the height of his face. Genno didn't even flinch. Instead, he continued to express this primal joy with a ferocious grin.

«Truly a genius you are. You failed to realize that I gave the key of his cell to Stan, which in turn gave it to Jerry. I wonder: did you really turn so many officers into pokemon for fun? Have you not even thought they'd be dangerous opponents if they had the chance to strike back? Enjoy the mess you've created yourself. »

A punch in the face knocked him to the ground, but even that failed to stop him.

«You're a joke. Even with all your pretention, you didn't realize that I had fooled you right under your nose. Hiding Ash's pokeball under my clothes? Is that all you saw? Perhaps even a poke-geneticist like you can't see past the evidence. Tell me, does the appearance is reflected in the DNA? »

The question was plain stupid for they both knew the answer.

«Don't toy with me. » threatened Jonathan.

His son didn't listen.

«Of course not, a scar, a lost limb, a change of haircut or anything similar won't show up on a creature's DNA. Yet, a ditto will perfectly replicate another creature's appearance and body. If the transformation was limited to the DNA alone, it would be imperfect. This is another reason a ditto must look at something it want to change into: to see details that are not visible on the DNA's level. »

«I was the one to emit that theory. Where are you going with that? » he asked, his anger merely contained.

«The next part is what's most important and is something you never had the chance to discover: a ditto doesn't turn into a human if it can avoid it. It's harder and feels weird. Yet when it does, it is exactly the same as its target… meaning it copies the clothes. »

A look of pure shock passed onto Jonathan's face. How could he have missed that? More importantly, that meant …

«Now, I bet you see where I'm going, right? » he said, despise hidden between his word. «Pokeballs were recently updated to add a special feature. If a pokemon, like me, take one away from its trainer, it is considered stolen and will be sent back to the trainer's storage. This usually takes five to ten minutes to happen, but when a pokeball is completely in contact with a foreign pokemon from every single direction, it considers that it has been eaten… in which case the recall happens in less than ten seconds. »

On the ground, Genno gloated with a savage satisfaction.

«He's gone, Jonathan. Ash is out of your reach now. »

The scientist face was twisted by boiling emotions.

«So, if I summarize, your hostages are gone, you failed to strike your enemies and a test subject has been taken away from you while you were looking, all while you claim to be of superior intellect and strength… let me say this: if there's a loser somewhere, it is definitely you.»


	40. Test subject

**Poke-genetics: test subject**

Janes entered the office, a disappointed look on her face. There, she met Jonathan who looked angrier than she had ever seen. At his feet, there was an unconscious ditto. Her expression surely showed interrogation, since Jonathan barked at her.

«Don't speak! I am not in the mood for one of your little crazy comment! »

«Actually, I was only going to report that the rest of their group escaped. »

«WHAT? » he yelled.

«That damn Sabrina… I should have knocked her out as soon as I saw her. » she said, more to herself than for her boss.

«What did she do? » Jonathan urged her to answer, his face red with anger.

«She did the same as me. » Janes explained with a disappointed sight. «When the hidden members came on my order, the leaders moved to the center of the room and made a circle, as if they were going to fight… They didn't, Sabrina used her alakazam to escape with them. We have not made a single prisoner from this assault… except… him? »

Jonathan shot a look of pure rage at Genno.

«This little… He's going to regret acting up in front of his father. »

At these words, Janes felt her mood lighten. Perhaps, with a bit of luck, she could play with the boy. Oh, she wanted it so badly. A kid with a spirit as strong as his… she wanted to see how long it would take to break him.

«Janes. » Jonathan said to get her out of her sick thoughts. «Make sure that our relocation happens faster than initially thought. »

She nodded, but without taking her eyes off of Genno.

* * *

He slowly opened his eyes. His head was spinning a bit. Everything was sort of a blur, he could not really decipher where he was. Gradually, his eyes got accustomed to the white lights.

The madness started.

Things were covered with different layers of colors and lights.

His ditto eyes! He was looking at his surrounding with his ditto eyes!

Instinctively, he changed into Ash. The familiar body helped him calm down for a second. He had to determine where he was.

It was not hard. There was a wall of glass in front of him, over him, behind him and on both sides of him.

He was in one of Team Blast's infamous glass box.

His breathing accelerated. No matter how logical it was, it had to be a joke. This was the one thing he feared the most ever since he infiltrated this place to fight them: being experimented on.

Panicked, he looked everywhere to see if there was anything to could help him get out of this cage. He started hitting the glass, hoping to break it.

«I'm sorry to tell you this kid, but it won't work. Other pokemon tried before you, most of them stronger than you, and failed miserably. I know it; I made sure it would be this way. » a mature voice echoed from behind him.

He turned around, almost jolting because of the surprise. There was another small pillar with a box on top, this one containing a red ditto.

There was a sad tone to his voice and a resigned pain on its face.

Genno stopped to look at the pokemon. He was… familiar. He knew he had seen that ditto somewhere…

«You're… Marco Blaze! » he said, unable to believe his eyes.

«I am… or was, depending on whether I want to be rhetorical or not. » he answered a bit of humorously.

The sad irony brought a hint of a nervous smile on Genno's face. He had tried that kind of joke too… they were not the ones he made when his happiness was over the top.

«That's one heck of a mess you've created. » he accused.

«That's an understatement. »

«At least someone here got his just dessert. » Genno said as he pressed his back against the wall behind him.

There was a silence between them. Marco seemed to have received a shock and Genno was pondering as to the impossible side of the thing. His father turned Marco in a pokemon and captured him. End of the line normally… but his father had shown him a human Marco sleeping in his bed. Did he figure out a way to reverse the lock of a pokeball? Was there hope for Ash? Was he periodically turning Marco in a pokemon and sometimes reversing his state, carefully drugged, so that he could keep control of Team Blast? There was a quick way to know.

«Hey, have my father changed you back? »

There was a completely incredulous look on Marco's face.

«Are you seriously asking that question? … Unless that by your father, you mean someone that isn't Jonathan Avery… »

This put a frown on Genno's face. Either his father was drugging him before and he never realized it or…

Before he could ask another question, Marco interrupted him.

«…are you a good friend of Ash Ketchum? »

«What? »

«I asked: are you a…»

«No, I got that part. I meant: why do you want to know that? »

«I'm curious. I wondered if you used someone's body and face without that person knowing. It makes a useful cover… » he explained.

«You disgust me. I could never frame someone like that. »

«Are you saying that Ash Ketchum's name is completely clear? » Marco continued.

There was something weird about the red ditto's tone.

«… No. People think he attacked Team Blast regardless of the hostages you took. They… do not like him. » Genno conceded.

«You know, he was the one person I did not want to see involved. » Marco surprisingly declared.

«You were scared? » Genno asked with a raised eyebrow.

«You could say that. » Marco admitted.

«Ha, the leader of a criminal organization was scared of one trainer? You don't sound as tough as on TV, you know? I guess even behind so many hostages, you still felt insecure. »

«I wasn't planning on using them! » Marco shouted.

Genno's jaw dropped in shock.

«What? »

«My goal was to create a terrible threat, not destroy Kanto's demography. I would have returned them after a few accomplished tasks, with people remembering that it could happen again as a guarantee of loyalty. Sebastian was the only one that truly had to be morphed. They had to realize what it meant for their family not to obey. »

For a few moments, Genno stared at him, without uttering a word, then he talked with a dark tone.

«You should have done that before being stabbed in the back by the least trustworthy subordinate you could find. »

«Ah, I never trusted Janes. I only knew I could keep her under control with well thought plans and complicated mess. She loves those. I didn't think she'd betray me at that moment. I thought it would happen before or later. It's ironic really. »

«Good for you… » he muttered.

But it wasn't a hostile reply. For some reason, there was an aura around Marco that prevented Genno from feeling true hatred. Hostility, yes, as former enemies, but nothing as deep as what he felt for his father. It was probably because that matter was personal, while this one was purely ethical.

He sighted. His father was right; he was only devoted to this fight because there was a personal matter in it. There was truth in those words, he knew it.

A door opened at the back of the room.

His father entered.

He was no longer looking angry. Instead, there was some sort of anticipation in his eyes. This was the detail that really made Genno shiver in fear.

«Now then, son, I think we're due for a little talk. We should not lose time. »

Genno watched his father got ready in his usual way with horror.

This was a bad joke. His father was preparing to experiment on him, whistling as if he was still in their lab, with a content look on his face! This… had… to be a FREAKING JOKE!

Was it the naïve part of his mind that subconsciously thought that he would not sink that low? Probably. Jonathan experimented on Sebastian, an innocent nine year old kid. What would stop him from doing the same, or much worse, most likely, to his rebellious sixteen year old son that had insulted him? Nothing. There was nothing to stop his father.

That thought was extremely frightening.

«Let's begin, shall we? » his father said, almost politely.

Genno saw parts of the floor he was standing on slide and mechanized arms crept out of them, some holding a syringe.

Genno breathe heavily. He had to harden his mind, to ready himself for whatever would happen.

The machine moved a lot faster than he had estimated. Before he could move, three needles pierced the skin of his right arm.

«Let's see how you to this stimulus. Normally, it should… »

Genno felt the liquid poor inside his biceps and in his shoulder. More precisely, he felt the effect of the chemicals rather than the liquid itself.

His arm was aching. It was a laughable sensation.

Genno stared at his arm with a bewildered look. Was that it?

«…take a few more seconds to truly start. » finished his father.

The aching started to become more intense. It was growing in importance with each passing second. Genno suddenly felt that it was not laughable at all.

The aching turned into the maddening impression that his arm was decaying. His breathing was more of a clipped succession of inspiration than anything by now.

Genno began to lost control over that limb. At first, it twitched. He tried to stop it with his other arm… without success.

His right arm lost coherence and started to take a greenish color.

«No… » Genno whispered as he remembered his nightmare. «That… not possible! It was just a bad dream! »

His arm turned into goo similar to his ditto body… and fell.

Genno screamed.

His arm! His arm had fallen off!

«I suggest you transform before you lack the strength to do it. You'll start to lose blood in a second. »

As the vital fluid splashed the transparent walls of his cage, Genno morphed back into a ditto, deeply traumatized.

«Well, that wasn't too bad for a first try. » his father said with a grin. «Let's see if the other tests are as successful as this one. »

As his son was trying to gather his mind, Jonathan had leaned closer.

«You see, I was wondering for a long time... why aren't dittos the most sought pokemon in the world? After all, if they can turn into any pokemon there is, this should include the most powerful ones, right? Well, I was a bit disappointed when I understood that a ditto can't turn into a legendary. Apparently, it requires more energy than a ditto can naturally produce. However, there were a few things that revived my interest. For example, a newborn ditto has many times the energy of an adult one. It always has the energy to transform into a pokemon it sees, but only the first. Still, a simple calculation allowed me to determine that even that would only be enough for the third of a legendary's strength. »

Genno was not really listening; he was trying to make himself understand that he still had his right arm.

«Perhaps you're wondering why I'm telling you… or perhaps you've already understood. I'm trying to find a way to create a ditto with the natural capacities of a newborn ditto. Unfortunately, the results so far are not conclusive. Therefore, I am pleased to have a fresh new test subject in your person, son. Not to mention that the stabilizer I threw on you may affect the results positively. Isn't that interesting? Let's put my theory to test, shall we? »

* * *

An almost complete silence had fallen on the room. Jonathan had left the room after two hours of experimentation and observations.

Genno was sobbing in his cage, on his knees, holding his stomach as if that could stop him from throwing up. He was trying not to remember those traumatizing moments; his nausea would never go away otherwise.

His tears kept flowing even after the pain had started to subdue.

«It'll be okay. It gets easier to endure after a while. » someone encouraged him.

«Marco? » he said hesitantly.

«He wanted to frighten you. »

«He succeeded. »

«Things will get better. Don't worry. »

It was a lie, they both knew it, but the paternal tone Marco had taken had a strange effect on Genno. A little bit of fear disappeared and was replaced by warmth.

«Thanks… »

«Who said that? » a stranger's voice interrupted.

Genno turned around. He hadn't notice that pokemon before. Had he stayed silent the whole time… unless he had been put into some sort of artificial coma.

It was another ditto, of the usual pink color this time.

A real pokemon. Was it the one that he caught a glimpse of when he infiltrated?

«It's me. I was captured recently. My name's Genno. »

«That's weird… that's my trainer's name. » it said with a confused tone.

Genno's heart skipped a beat. It was his ditto! The one he caught two years ago. The pokemon he presented to his father so that they could put his theories to test.

Here it was, looking sick, tired, in a lab, experimented on by a man with no moral.

He felt his eyes become wet again.

«I'm sorry. It's my fault you're here. I shouldn't have caught you. I'm responsible for all that happened to you. »

«Awwwww, that's cute. » cut a familiar voice.

Genno jolted in surprise. When did she get here?

«Oh, don't stop for me. Continue that grand friendship declaration of yours. I'm waiting for the touching «I wish I could make all your troubles disappear» part. » Janes urged with a sick smile.

Genno and Marco shot death glare at her.

«Oh, don't look at me this way. » she said with her joyful tone.

All of a sudden, her posture straightened and her eyes showed a very serious threat.

«I mean it. Don't look at me this way. »

That was enough to make Genno lose his rage. Instead, there was an horrified fear crawling under his skin. Hiding it the best he could, he asked:

«Why are you here? »

«Your father said he needed to discipline you… and I offered my help. »

They stopped breathing. Genno gulped loudly.

«You're coming with me, boy. »

* * *

They were in a small room, just as metallic and cold as the rest of Team Blast's headquarter. Genno walked in it, followed by Janes.

«Here is the place we'll spend our time together. Aren't you thrilled? » she said.

«…a lot… »

«Oh, you're not really enthusiastic, are you? Don't worry; I'll make sure you'll never forget this place. »

As she closed the door, Genno felt a shiver run down his spine. This had to be a bad joke! He couldn't be alone in a room with JANES!

«It is… just like the joke dad did to your arm, just like the one about the stabilizer. Hey, he's not even the head of Team Blast, that's just an actor. » his ironic side helpfully reminded him.

«Now, if you'll be nice enough to lie down on that table, we'll be able to start. »

Something snapped inside of Genno. He pushed her as hard as he could and ran for the closed door. He frantically tried to turn the locket, which was refusing to move even an inch.

Behind him, Janes stood up slowly, as if putting the emphasis on the difference of strength. She slid a knife under his throat and grabbed him by the hair.

«That's not a nice thing to do. » she stated.

She placed him on the table and tied him up with strange puffy handcuffs.

«These are to make sure you don't roll down to the floor… and that even if you transform, they won't loosen. Plus… there's another little something, but I wouldn't want to spoil everything so early, would I? » Janes explained nicely.

He stared at her. She was really going to do that. He… he… didn't know what would happen, but he had rarely felt this scared.

«Oh my, I almost forgot. Everything here can be seen from your father's desk. He'll look at everything and is the one to tell me to stop. Who knows, maybe he won't like seeing what I planned. »

She leaned and whispered to his ears alone.

«But I seriously doubt it. »

She took back her normal stance and clapped her hands.

«Okay, let's start. First of all, let me present you my tools. » She said as she took three knives out of her belt.

«These three are called Stan, Ash and Pikachu. Hello Genno. »

Her last sentence was pronounced as if she was a puppeteer and her knives were her puppets talking.

Genno was stunned by surprise. He stayed silent with his mouth wide open.

A look of deception passed on Janes's face. She stabbed him on the left leg with Stan.

The pain was so sudden that he started screaming.

«They are so polite to you, Genno. You should reply. »

As she talked, she pushed her knife deeper into his leg.

«Don't be so rude… » she scolded.

«He… Hello. » he managed to say.

«Much better. Okay, it's really simple. We're going to play for a while and since I'm the game master, you must follow my instruction, okay? »

Seeing as he was hesitant, she used the Ash knife to tickle his cheeks.

«OKAY! » Genno replied as fast as he could.

«Good, let's start. »

Her pleasure not even hidden, she drove her first knife under the skin of his right cheek.

Genno reacted normally, which was the worst thing he could have done. He yelled in pain… and the knife pierced through. The metallic taste that invaded his mouth was only partially because of the sudden flow of blood.

Janes, while trying to stop shivering of pleasure under the screams, tried to sound disappointed.

«Shoot, I didn't think he'd react so strongly. So much for skinning him… maybe later, now, he is in trouble of choking with the blood. Genno, transform immediately! »

Too happy to obey, his shape became that of a ditto. The pain gone, he sighted in relief.

His sight was cut short as a powerful electric current passed through his body.

«I didn't authorize you to stay like that for so long. Turn back into a human now. »

If he didn't find a way to stop this now, he was going to lose his mind. He obeyed, but with a small twist.

Janes was surprised to see a clone of herself tied to the table.

«How original, I've never tried that before. Now seems like a good moment to try. »

«Where have I lost myself? »

The question had erupted from her toy's lips with her voice.

Genno saw her stop for a second. Her eyes were distant, as if she was looking at her memories. He was not the only one to suddenly become more attentive; a man behind a screen approached his listening device.

«Was it that time? » Janes asked with a fragile, shaking voice.

The change of tone was completely unexpected.

«It was a long time ago… back when I was just a seven year old girl. My dear growlithe and me were taking a walk in town. It was such a loyal pokemon. It was my best friend, it listened to me, it consoled me when I was sad, played with me when I was happy. We were just walking together. Why did that truck had to run over my growlithe? »

She broke down in tears, her face hidden behind her hands and her shoulders shaking.

Genno's jaw could not hit the floor, but I probably would have in any other situation. THAT'S IT? She was a crazy sadistic murderer and torturer because her DOG died?

Janes probably felt the look he sent her. Her gloves moved toward her hips and her psycho smile was just where it should have been.

«The answer is: because I pushed it in front of the car. It made a pathetic wimpy noise as it died and the driver was astonished. The police did not believe him. They thought he was trying to escape punishment by blaming a heart-broken kid. It was so fun to see him get taken away by the police while I was laughing in his face. »

Genno felt like throwing up. What was she? Definitely not a human!

«So, can we go back to work now? » she asked. «First, I need to get those away. They're in my way. »

As she cut the clothes he was wearing, she noticed the slight blush that came to his face.

«Oh, is there something wrong? » she questioned maliciously. «Could it be that you don't like being exposed like that? Turn into Ash! »

Genno obeyed reluctantly; there was something suspicious about this sudden change of mind.

«Good. Now, let's take them away. »

Genno blushed even more.

Her knives cut through the clothes as if it was butter. With but a few movements, she had taken them all away.

«Oh, that's it. You are ashamed of taking someone else's body. You always hated it when you had to transform into Ash in front of him. It didn't felt right, as if you were stealing from him. Am I wrong? »

Genno tried to hide his surprise. How could she have known that?

«Just because I'm different doesn't mean I can't understand someone else. In fact, I'm rather good when it comes to psychology. For example, I'm sure there's nothing that would break you more surely than this. »

Janes took a bottle from under the table and made him drink its content.

Genno's eyes were wide open as he felt the change in his body… more precisely his lower body.

«No… you're not… »

«Is that a protest? »

Her knives pierced his hands and glued them to the table. Under the waves of pain, he heard her talk.

«New rule: every time we play, you have to take off all your clothes. You have no right to even the slightest bit of dignity. »

Amused by his panicked expression, she leaned on him. Her gloves even stroke his cheeks, sensually.

«No transforming allowed either. »

A syringe found its way into her other hand and she injected the product in his veins.

«This should paralyze you for a while. »

As she took off her uniform, she whispered to his ears.

«Remember, your father's still watching. He hasn't stopped me yet. »

If he could have thrown up, Genno would have emptied his stomach… but even that had been taken away from him... and she intended to take much more.

She climbed on the table, moving over him. She put a poisonous kiss on his lips, savoring the flavor of shame and fear. Afterward, Janes took a look at the unmoving teen under her.

«Ah, that poor Ash, he may even have a second child. Wouldn't it be a nice surprise? »

The sheer idea was making him sick.

«Why don't we have fun with your friend's body for a while? » she suggested.

As she followed her suggestion, Genno heard a distant noise in a corner of his mind. It was akin to a breaking vase.

«Ah, I know. » he exclaimed mentally. «That's my mind breaking into pieces. »


	41. Hometown

**Poke-genetics: hometown**

Its usual glow had faded a lot. Professor Oak approached the pokeball, trying to determine whether or not the pokemon inside was in a suitable condition to be called out.

His natural curiosity had tortured him as soon as he received news of the pokeball that had arrived. Usually, a healing pokeball was not a big deal, they were easy to acquire and were useful during long travels to make sure your pokemon were in good shape. The difference here was that this pokeball had been registered under Ash's name. He was without news of Ash ever since Team Blast had gotten so active.

Why would Ash send back a pokemon he had just caught with a healing pokeball to him? …Especially after the same thing happened to all his pokemon other than Pikachu.

The healing pokeball's light dimmed and the item stopped glowing altogether.

Falling for the temptation, Oak took the item and opened it.

The usual ray of light blinded him for a second while the pokemon inside it was released.

A tired voice made it to Oak's ears.

«Pika pikachu? »

* * *

Wow! The headache!

«Where am I? »

Ash's world was as stable and still as a hyperactive Pachirisu. His eyes only showed him a blurry vision of some place looking like a lab and a man wearing a white smock.

His blood boiling, Ash didn't lose time and jumped on his enemy while yelling aggressively.

«YOUUUUU! »

He released his thunderbolt attack, hoping to knock that horrible man unconscious and be done with the operation!

Having succeeded, he turned around, his vision still unclear, to try to speak with Genno.

«Let's hurry and… huh? »

He finally noticed. His senses were telling him this was not the same room he was in five minutes ago. The place had the distinctive scent of a sterilized environment, but it didn't actually give an unwelcoming feeling. It reminded him of his childhood for some reason.

Little by little, his sight cleared and he could make out more than just the shapes of his environment.

«Wait a minute… this is not Team Blast's headquarter at all! » he suddenly realized.

The body behind him flashed before his eyes.

«Oh Mew! I hope that person is alright. » he wished.

Ash turned around and his jaw dropped.

«Professor Oak! »

He had just attacked Professor Oak!

Okay, okay, okay. He had to find someone that could heal him or at the very least examine him!

« …THERE IS NO HOSPITAL IN PALLET TOWN! » he yelled in a freak-out. «Oh Mew, what should I do? »

He began running around the lab, hoping to find one of Oak's assistant. His nose was telling him there was someone else in the lab, maybe in the next room.

It could be that he was too panicked to notice in time, but he was lifted by someone in the middle of his running.

«Woah, calm down, little buddy! » a teenager about his age said.

He knew that voice. He struggled just enough to actually get a look at the one holding him.

He gasped.

«Gary! »

«Are you okay? Why were you running like that? » Ash's oldest rival asked.

«Gary, it was an accident, but I shocked your grandpa! »

Not understanding the agitated pokemon, Gary loosened his grip a little and the pikachu jumped on the opportunity to break free. Seeing as Gary was just standing and observing him, Ash made a hand sign to urge Gary to follow him.

Intrigued by the weird pokemon's behavior, Gary didn't ask questions and went after it.

When he saw his grandfather lying on the ground, Gary immediately reacted.

«Grandpa! » he shouted as he approached to examine him.

Luckily, the old man was only lightly shocked and woke up with a moan of pain. Even if he was healed, Ash was not at full power, nor were his attacks.

«Grandpa! Are you alright? »

«Ohhh, my head. » the professor complained.

«What happened? Was it Team Blast? » Gary questioned.

«Oh no, nothing that serious. It's just this pikachu here. I guess it was still confuse and, considering his injuries, was in a mortal situation before. When I took it out of its pokeball, it attacked me. Luckily for me, a healing pokeball doesn't restore energy, only health. It is still pretty weak, even if his life is no longer in danger. »

Ash tried to make himself as tiny as possible under Gary's dark glare. He didn't even understand what had happened. Why was he in Oak's lab in the first place? He was in Marco Blaze's office less than ten minutes ago. How did he manage to end up here? Did Genno use teleport again? But… he was still human when he last saw him. That made no sense.

«Whose pokemon is it anyway? »

«Gary, this pokemon was registered under Ash's name. »

«Ash… » Gary whispered.

Wow, that took him back ages ago, when they were still kids and rivals.

«I miss that idiot… Don't ever tell him that, gramps. » he quickly added.

«My lips are sealed. » the old professor assured.

«Huh? Why are you looking at me like that, little buddy? » Gary said as he saw the smug look on Ash's face.

«No reason… except the fact that I so wish to see your face when I'll get to tell you who I am. »

Gary stared at the pokemon. He had the feeling it was secretly laughing at him, but he couldn't tell why. There was something in those eyes that was arousing his suspicion.

«Gary, we should take him to Delia. Here, bring his pokeball with you and show him to Delia. Maybe… this'll be enough of a sign to reassure her. »

As Gary simply nodded, Ash was stuck on a part of professor Oak's dialogue: «Bring his pokeball with you».

Memories flashed before his eyes: him jumping at Jonathan, the man aiming at him, a cold sensation in his gut, a warm liquid wetting his fur, a small hit on the middle of his back and… nothing.

What happened after that? Was Genno alright? Did they succeed? That hit… had been a pokeball, hadn't it?

The revelation cut his legs. He had been caught. The pokeball had been sent back because Genno was the one holding it. That was the only reason he was here. This also meant one thing: he was stuck as a pikachu forever.

Strangely, he was calm inside. There was no maelstrom of emotion in him, just a peaceful acceptance.

For he had already chosen that.

«Ash, it all comes down to this. If you are given the choice, will you change back? » were Misty's words.

For a moment, he had been lost. Not knowing what to say. He loved her, he really, really did… but Alex needed him more than her and he could never leave him behind. Genno had made things clear from the beginning: Alex could not become human. It was just impossible. Even if he could have been changed like him, Ash was not able to selfishly change his son forever for his own convenience.

His answer had been crystal clear.

«No. »

Misty had just looked at him and a few tears had pearled up in her eyes. She had been calm, prepared for the worst. The news had not really surprised her. She had worked that out.

Maybe it was her acceptance, maybe it was just his feeling of loss, but he had been furious. He knew it was better this way, _but it still hurt_! Suddenly, calmly waiting for the conflict to be resolved by others had been unbearable.

And he had selfishly left Alex to Pikachu, regardless of his own previous promises.

Was he paying the price now? Maybe.

Seeing as the pikachu was no longer moving, Gary carried him out of the lab and toward Ash's house. He could feel the intensive reflexing the pokemon was doing.

Halfway through, Ash got out of his lethargic state. He had to get a grip on himself! With one good movement, he jumped out of Gary's arm and landed on the road.

«Thanks Gary, but I'm going to walk on my own from now on. »

The interrogative air on his old rival's face brought a grin on Ash's.

«Hey, I was just going to say that I really owned you in our last battle. Don't hesitate to stop me if you think I'm wrong. » he said maliciously.

Oblivious, Gary just looked at the strange pikachu walking at his sides, who was sometimes chuckling after an obscure «pika pi pikachu».

As time passed, Ash could barely keep his hilarity under control. Man, this was so childishly fun! He got to mock Gary in his face while all he did was nod with a perplex expression.

A kind nostalgia soon rose under his furry skin. His hometown, he was in his hometown. It was here that he lived for most of life. It had been so long since he was here. Even Team Blast couldn't alter the feeling his home gave. He had so many warm memories of this place. He had to show Alex the place his father had lived his childhood in.

Ash's home appeared in sight. As he looked at the house he grew up in, Ash felt his heart beat harder.

Gary knocked politely at the door. From behind it, a voice Ash loved came softly.

«Yes? »

«It's me, Gary. »

The door opened and Delia Ketchum appeared in the doorstep.

«Is there something you need? » she asked gently.

«Oh, nothing of the sort. » he said as he shrugged the back of his head. «It's just that gramps wanted me to bring this pokemon to you. »

Her eyes fell on Ash, who couldn't help but whisper:

«Mom…»

«What a cute pikachu! » she exclaimed in her usual cheerful style.

The change of tone shook Gary a little, but he continued nonetheless.

«My grandfather said this is one of Ash's pokemon. It was captured recently and it was sent to the lab. He wanted you to… take care of it I think. »

At the mention of her son's name, Delia lost her smile.

«I see… » she whispered with a wavering voice. «I will take it then. »

Seeing her sadness, Gary tried to comfort her, but Delia stopped him with a single hand.

«Please, leave me alone for now. »

«Delia…»

He didn't know how to react. Delia was clearly suffering, but she refused any support. What was he supposed to do?

«Just… remember. Gramps and I are here and we will be there for you if you ever wish it. »

Delia stroked his hair in a maternal manner, a soft smile on her face.

«Thank you, Gary. »

All this time, Ash had been silent in horror. Who was that? This was not his mom! He didn't even remember ever seeing her sad or depressed! His mom was the always cheerful kind of housewife woman, not this heartbroken person.

Tears appeared in his eyes. He could not stand seeing her like that. It all happened when Gary mentioned him… was she worried? Of course she was! He was so stupid. Why didn't he call her more often? He had the means to do it! He had been so caught up with raising Alex and planning with Genno and Pikachu that he… forgot…

When Gary left, Delia asked him to follow her into the house.

Everything was the same, except bigger. It was as if he had never left this place.

Delia led him into the living room, where she sat on the couch. With a single tap on her knees, she invited him and he hopped on.

From this close, her scent was invading his senses. It reminded him of some flowers growing in grassy fields on the neighboring hills. Her touch was very gentle as she stroked the fur of his back, calming the torment he was bearing.

Ash stayed on her lap, enjoying the purity of this moment. Once more, he was just a child being comforted by his mother. It lifted a burden he was bearing ever since he learned of his new father's status. The responsibilities were pushed on his shoulder too early. He was still a teen and he didn't want to be burdened by so many things.

There was tenderness in Delia's eyes now. This pokemon looked so tormented, but peace was slowly returning to it. What had happened to make it so sad? Was it related to its capture? Or to the reason it was sent back?

Without failing, that led her to ask herself if her son was alright. She couldn't help it. Team Blast was far from going soft and he had confessed that he was trying to do something against them.

In a whisper, she said:

«Are you okay, Ash? »

It was as if something snapped inside of Ash. What kind of son was he? How could he stand being comforted while his mother was equally sad? Especially when it would be so simple to make her feel better!

He jumped off of her and ran through the house.

«Wait, pikachu! » Delia asked as she ran after it.

As she chased it, Delia had a premonition. Things were going to change.

She saw the pokemon ran upstairs and she tried to keep up with it, with little success.

When she got to the second floor, it was nowhere to be seen. She slowly advanced in the middle of the corridor, her feeling persisting. On her left, she perceived a small ticking noise. It came from the computer room.

She entered, unsure about whatever she might find.

Delia Ketchum saw the pokemon typing with mild difficulties. However, what really got her attention were the few words written to her:

«Mom, it's me, Ash. »

Her legs became weak and she caught the corner of the doorframe to support her.

What?

The pikachu looked at her, its eyes screaming to her: «Believe me! ».

Its eyes… they were the same as Ash's. The fur on its head bore a striking resemblance with her son's haircut… Deep inside, she felt a link to that pokemon.

It had to be the truth.

She approached the pikachu, which had a mad hope she would trust it.

Ash closed his eyes when she stopped a few steps away from him. There had been a surge of doubts in her, he saw it. He waited in the dark, alone, rejected.

A pair of soft hands grabbed each sides of his torso and lifted him. The warmth of his mother's embrace brought tears to his eyes.

«Oh Ash… » she tenderly said to his ears alone. «I've been so worried about you. »

He returned her hug, with all the strength his small pikachu arms could muster.

After a long moment of pure love, they broke from their mutual embrace, looking at each other. They had so many things to say. The most blatant was the one thing that Delia already knew.

«What happened? Team Blast did this to you, didn't they? »

«Yes. »

«When? »

«Before this all started. I met someone named Genno, which is now a good friend. He asked for my help to get to his house... »

And he related the whole story, without omitting any detail he could remember. He told her everything: Genno's story, their meeting, the incident in the lab, Stan, Janes, the infiltration, their battle against Team Blast, Jonathan Avery, Alexchu, which cut her breath, their latest battle…

When he was done, his mother was holding him tightly against her.

«Ash… you've been through so much… I should have been there for you… »

«No! It's not like that! I chose that when I was changed. »

«Why didn't you ask Genno to tell me when he called? »

Ash looked down.

«I… didn't want to see you hurting. I thought it would be in your best interest not to know… if things could still change. But… I can't stand to see you suffer because of my choices. »

When she read that, Delia began to cry.

«Mom? »

She didn't answer. Delia was letting her tears flow, struck by the cruel irony. It took her a long time to calm down, during which Ash felt helpless. He didn't understand. Why was she so sad now?

When her voice returned, it was a shaken and fragile one.

«Ash… I'm such a bad mother. »

«What? NO! »

«You know what to do better than me. I've face a dilemma similar to yours for years, but I've never had the strength you have. »

«What are you talking about? »

She stayed silent for a second, as if wondering if she could just pretend to have said nothing. Fortunately, she was not this weak.

«I'm talking about your father. »

Ash's breathing stopped. His father?

«I've lied to you. »

He felt the weight of this revelation press on his chest.

«He… is not a pokemon master. »

Ash was completely silent. This was something he based his whole life on and it was a LIE!

«Who… is he? » he managed to type.

Delia looked at the shaking paws of her son and she had to bottle her sadness. She had to tell him.

«Please, let me explain… »

Receiving no answer, she continued.

«I met your father when I was in university. At the time, we were both naïve young persons with ambitious dreams. »

A small smile found its way onto her lips.

« I can still see his sparkling eyes when he was talking about pokemon breeding. It was one of his ambitions, to own a ranch full of pokemon he could raise and live with. He had this strange aura of nobility around him whenever he was giving his all. I remember him talking to me with blazing passion, complimenting me on my beauty or my intelligence… sometimes clumsily. Whenever I tried to return his compliment with subtle comments, he didn't always understand. Sometimes, he could be really dense. »

She managed to hold her laugher quite well.

«He was not the most romantic guy around, but I could feel how pure his feelings for me were. Slowly, I developed feelings for him as well and our relationship became official. »

Delia paused a second, looking for words.

«We moved here, in this house, together. As he was trying to start up his ranch, I applied to work with Professor Oak. »

Ash was taken aback. He never knew his mother had worked as a scientist.

«Things were like a fairytale… especially when I knew I was pregnant with you. Your father and I were so excited. Our dreams were all happening one after the other. When you were born, I think I've never experienced such joy. Your father, you and I were what I like to think of as a perfect family. For some time, we fantasized on the future, persuaded it was filled with happiness. Things looked bright… »

Delia made a weird noise, somewhat sounding like a disgusted grunt.

«We were so naïve. When you were two, everything started to go downhill. A recessionary period destroyed Kanto's economy. Professor Oak could no longer pay me, his family knowing financial issues themselves, and I lost my job. Your father had to sell every single pokemon he had caught up to then, except his very first pokemon, to make up for our losses. We tried to look for new jobs, but we were not the only ones and we couldn't find any. Desperate, your father decided to look for a job elsewhere, promising to send all the money he'd earned to us when he did. »

Ash stayed silent. He had heard of the recessionary period in school once, but he would never have imagined that it had something to do with his father's absence. He wondered for a second. What would his life had been if it had not happened. Would he have grown up in a pokemon ranch, under his father's care and his scientific mother's loving eyes? Something ached in his chest. He was envious of this different him.

«Ash… for a month or so, I had no news of him. If things went on any longer, I would have sold the house and moved somewhere else with you. However, I received a letter from your father. It explained that he had found a job and sent as much money as he could. He could no longer come back, but he would still send the money for us. Every month for the following years, there was one of his letters in our mailbox. »

An obscure memory came back to his mind. Once, he had looked in the mailbox when he was small and his mother had been extremely nervous. She had made him promise not to look at things there, since they were for her alone. He had not really understood why, but he promised nevertheless.

«As you grew up, you frequently asked where your father was. I was terrified when you did. I knew it was lonely for you, but there was something that held me back every time. I… I thought it would be better to tell you he was away than the truth. »

«Why? Why did you hide all that from me? » Ash wrote, furious.

«At first, I thought you were not ready, that you needed a better role model… but when I saw you compete in the league for the first time, I realized how strong you were. At that time, I decided you had to know… but… when I went to your room… I heard you talk about those people that kept trying to steal your pokemon. »

«Team Rocket? »

«Yes. There was such a deep anger when you talked about them that I… couldn't bring myself to do it. »

Ash gasped. Did this mean…?

«Ash. For years, your father was a member of Team Rocket. »

He couldn't breathe. That was… no… NO!

«Every time you came back from a different region, stronger each time, I thought I should told you, but there was always a time where you would mention how you hate Team Rocket for going after you. »

Ash suddenly remembered that Team rocket was no more, except for a few members in hiding.

«What happened to him? Did you have any news of him recently? Was he arrested after the downfall of Team Rocket? »

«No… he was not. In fact, he's not part of Team Rocket anymore. »

«Huh? »

«When you were in Sinnoh, I received a strange message from him. He asked if you were back in Kanto. He wanted to make sure you would be away from the conflicts that were coming. He explained that he discovered one of Giovanni's plan. It threatened to annihilate Pallet Town and later the rest of the region. Giovanni would stop at nothing to obtain some sort of ancient artifact hidden here. Your father explained that he left Team Rocket as soon as he had learned that and that he would do everything in his power to stop them. »

«Well, Team Blast took care of that for him… »

«Ash… have you seen that Pallet Town was no even a bit affected by Team Blast? »

He did. Everything was the way he remembered.

«No children were kidnapped from here, no pokemon were harmed by pokeblocks, there is no Team Blast member trying to control the town. They left us alone. »

«Really? That's weird. Why? »

«Ash… your father left Team Rocket to destroy them. To do that, he needed something of equal or greater power. The police having failed, he settled for creating the greatest criminal organization Kanto has ever seen. »

A heavy rock fell in Ash's stomach. No. That was impossible! It was a lie!

«Every single deed committed by Team Blast before Jonathan Avery took over was done to protect us, Ash. Your father is Marco Blaze. »

The world froze in place.

His father… was Marco Blaze…

HIS FATHER WAS MARCO BLAZE?

No freaking way! He would not believe that!

Overwhelm by the anger and the confusion, Ash left the room, running.

When she heard the door of Ash's room closed, Delia hid her face behind her hands. It was her fault! If only she had mastered the strength to do it earlier…

She heard the doorbell ring.

«Huh? » she exclaimed, taken by surprise.

Without thinking, she went downstairs. Who could it be? Gary had come not too long ago, so it probably wasn't him or his grandfather…

She opened the door and looked at the person that was standing in front of her.

Unable to understand, she stood there, gaping in shock.

A human Ash was standing in front of her.

«Hi mom, I'm back! »


	42. Motherly strength

**Poke-genetics: motherly strength **

«Ash! » Delia said in delight.

She hugged the one with her son's body motherly, which responded to her sign of affection.

«It's good to see you again. » she whispered.

She did not notice the satisfied grin on his face, nor the small communication device in his pocket. With an illuminating smile, she invited him inside.

«Come in! »

He did not need to be told twice. He made his way into the house, following Delia closely as she led him in the kitchen.

«You must be hungry. Would you like me to cook you something? »

«Oh yes, please, mom! I'm starving and I've longed for your food ever since I left. » the teen confessed as he sat at the table.

«Now, honey, if you say things like that, I'll believe you only come back for my cooking. You're already not calling home often, you could at least pretend you've missed me. »

«Sorry mom, I didn't really have time… I was a bit busy training for the league… » he explained sheepishly.

«Ash, I'm not asking for much: just a phone call once in a while. Seriously, your last call was three months ago. »

«I know… I'll try to call you more often. » he said, embarrassed.

Happy with this small victory, Delia took her kitchen knives and began to peel vegetables.

«Well, how was your trip to Sinnoh. You surely have a lot to tell. »

«Hum… yeah. What do you want to hear about? » he asked with a little hesitation.

«Why not the league? You haven't told me about it. Was your painful training useful at least? » Delia continued, expertly handing her tools.

«Well… you could say that. I've lost in the semi-finals against a guy using legendaries. I lost, but… at least I managed to take down two of his pokemon. No one, not even the gym leaders of Sinnoh or the other finalist managed that. »

«Wow, Ash. I'm proud of you. »

With a blush on his cheeks, the boy replied small «thank you, mom».

For a few more minutes, they continued on Ash's trip to Sinnoh. He reported to her what happened in Dawn's contests and how depressed that had made her at first. Worried, Delia asked about the girl's well-being, but he assured she would get better and that she was in a good state of mind before he left.

«Here you go. » Delia said as she placed the plate in front of him.

«Thanks. »

As the boy began to eat in a gluttonous way, Delia sat in front of him. She seemed very pleased at her son's appetite.

«Is it to your taste? »

«Of course! It's even better than I remember. » he replied.

The mother smiled.

«Hey, mom, do you know if Professor Oak has received my new pokemon? It's a pikachu with spiky fur on its head, it kind of looks like my haircut. »

«Oh, yes. He's here. »

The teenager jumped on his feet.

«Can I see him? »

«Not now, Ash. He's sleeping in your room. »

It didn't last long, but for a second, there was a look of extreme interest in the boy's eyes. Without departing from her smile, Delia continued.

«Professor Oak said he was extremely tired after the long recovery he had to go through. Which reminds me: Professor Oak and I were both curious as to what happened to it. That pikachu had to rest for two days in a healing pokeball. That's a lot considering how well made his pokeball was. »

The teen hesitated. He wasn't sure how to explain it to Delia without making her sad.

«Hum… he was… humph… how can I say that? Mom… I'm… fighting against Team Blast. » he confessed with a tone that was like an apology.

«Ash… » Delia said with a few tears.

«I know it's dangerous! But I still can't let them do everything they want! Someone has to stand up against them! » he almost yelled, passionate.

«It's okay… » she said with a quiet, relaxing voice.

«Really? I thought you'd be angry. » he said, surprised.

«Ash, I was sure you'd try something like that. What kind of mother would I be if I couldn't even guess this much? » she assured. «I want you to be safe, but I know you would never just stay safe while others are in danger. »

Ash grinned. Things turned out to be going better than he assumed.

«Let's not think about this Ash. We should enjoy the little bit of time that we were given. »

* * *

The darkness of the night had fallen on Pallet Town before they had realized it. Upon seeing it through the living room's window, Delia had prompted him to go to bed. However, she had insisted that he slept in her room.

At that, her son's eyebrow rose and he asked her why. Delia replied that she had been so afraid for him that she wanted to be able to sleep at peace at least once and be sure tomorrow that it wasn't just her disillusions.

Awkwardly, he accepted and they had gone to bed together.

The creaking of an opening door made someone swear in the dark. He had to be careful not to wake anyone in the house. There was something he had to do.

Slowly, a silhouette crept through the house, looking for one thing. In a few minutes, it stopped in front of a room with a locked door: Ash's room.

It took a tool out of his pocket and tried to unlock it.

The intruder could feel he was getting closer to his goal. It was just a matter of seconds before he could open that door.

A light blinded him and a curious voice emerged from the other end of the corridor.

«Ash? What are you doing, honey? » Delia asked, a flashlight in her left hand.

«Oh, mom…I wanted to… »

Delia approached and he clearly tensed up.

«Ash… »

Her hug came out of nowhere and shocked him.

«If you didn't want to sleep in my room, you should have said so. »

His nervous chuckle badly hid his uneasiness.

«Now, you should go sleep in the living room though. Your pikachu was too exhausted. You should not wake him up. » she said as she pushed him gently toward the stairs.

He sighted in relief. Fortunately for him, she was too good-natured to be suspicious. Thank Mew for th…

Something cold was pressed against his neck and an even colder voice reached his ear.

«Who are you? »

«What are you talking about, mom? » he said, shaking from the shock. «It's me, Ash. »

«Wrong answer. »

His arm was twisted and held against his back. The flashlight fell on the ground and they were plunged in the dark.

«It's really me! Don't you recognize me? »

«I recognize my son's face, that's all. »

«Mom! » he protested in panic.

«What was the first thing that made you want to be a pokemon master? »

He gulped down. This was bad.

«I… love pokemon… »

Her hands held him more firmly than ever.

«Wrong answer. I'll give you one last chance: what is your real name? »

There was no place for mistake. If she didn't believe him, he didn't want to imagine what she'd do with her kitchen knife. In a single whisper, he said:

«Genno Avery. »

* * *

Ash's eyes twitched, waking up from his deep sleep. He had heard something outside his room, two voices, one that appealed to him more than he wanted to admit. Since when was there someone else besides his mom here? After he had ran away here, he had thought about it for a long time before his fatigue got the best of him, so he had no idea if someone had entered meanwhile. Was it her Mr Mime? He could understand him now, but he saw no reason for them to speak in the middle of the night.

Ignoring his exhausted body, he crawled out of bed.

There was a thick silence in the middle of the corridor. As soon as he had declined his identity, Delia had unconsciously loosened her grip. Was he the teen her son had talked about? The one that had involved Ash in that mess?

«I… I thought you didn't know. It's something Ash decided. He wanted to make sure you didn't know until he found a way to change back. »

«What are you talking about? Change back to what? »

He bit his lips. Shoot! He shouldn't have said that.

«Hum… I'm sorry Delia. I shouldn't be the one to tell you that. I rea…»

His pleading stopped short. The feeling of cold metal against his neck had intensified.

«I don't trust you. Don't try to hide things from me. »

«But… okay. I'll tell you, but… please don't tell me it was me… Ash… was turned into a pikachu, the one in his room. I wanted to talk to him. »

She stayed silent.

He could hear the process of her thoughts. If she was anything like the other mothers he saw in his life, she'd probably be too shaken to think straight and let him go.

His sweat was rolling down from the sides of his face. Her knife was making him too nervous.

However, Delia reacted in a strange way.

«So that's what he was trying to tell me. He was making all kind of weird signs and pointing at pictures of himself. It makes sense now. »

Her light chuckle relieved him. Phew, things were starting to get under control now.

«He could have spent all the time he wanted, I'm sure I'd never understood him. »

«Yeah, after all, he can't communicate with humans. He's stuck with saying «pikachu». There's no way he could tell you. »

Out of nowhere, she shoved him into the ground.

«What are you doing? » he yelled in indignation.

«I told you it was your last chance. You lied twice, no more chances for you. »

«What are you talking about? »

«I'm talking about you faking to be my son and then faking to be my son's friend! » she explained.

«…how? » he abandoned.

What kind of housewife was she? Holding her kitchen knife under people's neck? Seriously?

«Ash always complains when I tell him to call me more often. Usually, because he does! He called me right after the closure ceremony of the Sinnoh league. I already knew what you told me. »

«That's all? »

«No, there's this thing I said that you didn't noticed. I told you that Ash hadn't called for three months. However, he did call me a month ago! »

«Huh? That's impossible! »

«No, it's quite possible. Genno made the call and Ash told him what to say. You see, unless everything you told me, there was no way you could have known that just by looking up Ash's trainer career, you would have to be either of them. »

«They could have just forgotten. »

«They couldn't. I know it to the things we told each other, but even if that was the case, you couldn't tell the most important thing about my son's goal. »

Everything was really lost… unless he could manage to… but for that, he needed her to lose her concentration for a moment. The problem was: she didn't look like she could at this point.

«Furthermore, you made the most stupid comment you could have. When I pretended to lower my guard, you immediately made the remark that Ash could never told me who he was as a pokemon. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but he told me today, using a computer, which he confessed was not the first time he did, many times in front of that Genno kid. »

He closed his eyes. Unless some sort of miracle happened, he'd be done for.

«Mimey! Bring lots of rope here! »

Okay, if he didn't find a way to distract her NOW, he was going to get in so much trouble he'd rather ask her to use her knife once and for all.

Destiny could have been on his side, since they heard a loud cry on their left.

«MOM! »

After hearing the loud «PIKA? », Delia and her prisoner turned around.

It was all he needed. Thank Mew!

He plunged his hand in his pocket and hit a button on a small device.

The movement caught Delia's attention.

«What did you do? » she said with an authoritative tone.

He smirked.

«You'll be sorry you weren't more oblivious. » he declared.

«What's going on here?» Ash asked, completely baffled.

«Ash, I think this guy is working for Team Blast or something like that. »

«WHAT? » he shouted.

«Come and hit him on the head. My hands are full right now, honey. »

As the pikachu sprinted toward the guy in his body, he prepared an iron tail to knock out an onyx.

Ash jumped and was about to attack when a breaking noise downstairs stopped him.

«Shoot! Someone broke a window downstairs! » he said as he ran to the first floor.

Before he could get there, a beam of orange light struck him and knocked him unconscious.

«ASH! »

«As I was saying, prepare for regrets. » the person under her said with satisfaction.

Someone turned the lights on and Delia was temporarily blinded by the change of luminosity. While she was unable to see, something pushed her and she fell to the ground.

«Woah, Dave, you were taken by one woman? Dude, you are so weak! » a man mocked.

«Hey! Watch your words, Kyle! » a woman warned.

«Shut up! She got me by surprise and that teen's body is weak! »

Delia grunted.

The noise brought their attention back to her. As she struggled to get up, the trio looked at her with pity… except for Dave.

«Awww, look at her. Mommy wanted to help her kid so she fought the bad guys… but she was not strong enough. You should have called for help instead of going for me alone. » the person with Ash's body said.

«Dave. We're here for that Ash kid. Let's get him and go. » the woman said.

«Okay. »

As they turned away and went to fetch Ash, they heard a threatening tone.

«Don't… touch… him! »

«You may not be as weak as we thought. » the member called Kyle declared.

«But that's not going to stop us. » completed Dave.

As they saw her walk down the stairs, not even bothering with her knife, they noticed the fierce look in her eyes. When they fell on the trio, they couldn't help but take a step backward.

When Delia talked, there was a frighteningly arrogant accent to her voice.

«I didn't call for help, because I knew I could deal with you all myself. »

And she dropped the pokeball she was holding.

Just as they reached for theirs, Delia's pokemon finished to materialize. They froze in place.

«No… way… » they muttered in a chorus.

Before them was standing a black and red charizard.

«It can't be… that pokemon… »

«That's our boss Marco's pokemon! » Dave said, hysterical.

«Maybe, next time, you'll know better than to try to attack Marco Blaze's wife and son! »

Their voice was stuck in their throat. It was a nightmare!

The dragon-like creature walked toward them, black flames erupting from its nostrils with each step.

«Throw them out, Charizard. » Delia ordered with a furious expression.

The three members were sent flying with a single tail swipe. The landing shook them, but as they caught a glimpse of the pokemon ready to get out of the house itself, they ran away in the middle of the night.

Delia was looking through the window to make sure they were not hiding somewhere when their neighbors' went outside to determine the cause of that ruckus. Noticing the broken glass on the ground, they asked with concern:

«Delia, are you alright? »

Her usual cheerful expression having returned, she replied:

«Of course, it's nothing worth talking about. »


	43. Rebellion

**Poke-genetics: Rebellion**

She shot a worried look at her surroundings. The more time passed, the less trust she had in this place as a hideout, but… they couldn't leave, yet.

Misty opened the trap door and jumped in the opening.

Staying in Erika's gym any longer was pure stupidity. It was just a matter of time until Team Blast found them. All her fellow gym leaders' and herself had attacked Team Blast, there was bound to be some retaliation planned against them. Once, the members had evaded this very place. Luckily, they had not discovered their hiding place and had left, but, for long painfully scary minutes, they had all held their breath.

Again, Misty thought it was stupid. Again, she reminded herself of the reason they had to wait.

They were without news of Ash and of Genno.

Normally, that would have meant leaving this place and never trying to return. If one of them had been captured, this place was no longer safe. However, Team Blast had been unusually slow to react. It was only a small hope, but was it possible that it was because of a sudden change in hierarchy?

And so, Misty once more entered the basement, welcomed by Sabrina, Blaine and Pikachu. The later was looking over Alexchu who was playing on the ground with some sort of silverware.

A hint of pain resurged in her, but it was soon washed away by the heart-melting baby.

«Still without news of them? » Blaine asked her.

«Still. This is really nerve racking. »

«True, but we should get better hindsight on things once Surge is done. » Sabrina stated.

As Misty was about to reply, Pikachu jolted on his feet.

«What's wrong, Pikachu? »

The mouse pokemon seemed curiously agitated.

«I think there's someone in the forest over our heads. » Sabrina said with a frown.

Instantly, Misty and Blaine assumed battle stance and their hands reached their pokeballs. If someone found their hideout…

A faint voice soon echoed in the background.

«Misty…» it called.

Stunned, the leaders looked at her in her surprise while Pikachu got closer to the trapdoor. He seemed shocked.

«Misty…?» the voice erupted again.

This time, they recognized it without doubt. It was Ash's voice! …or more probably Genno in Ash's body.

Without thinking, Misty climbed up and opened the trapdoor. They had disappeared for days! Her head through the opening, she could grasp the shadow of Ash… if it was him.

«Genno? » she asked, hoping somewhere inside herself that he'd reply… something else.

Startled, the teen turned around in surprise. He couldn't hide his shock quite well and, for a second, he stayed still, staring at her.

«Genno? » she insisted.

This time, he was able to speak.

«Yeah, it's me. »

Misty didn't show her deception. It was horrible of her, but… she missed Ash already. Her heart wasn't as ready as she had told him. To stay away from those thoughts, she made conversation over trivial things.

«Why were you calling my name? You could have brought attention Team Blast's attention upon us. » she scolded.

«Errr… I… kind of forgot where the entrance to the basement was. » he said, rubbing the back of his head.

With a moody expression, she let him inside.

She didn't notice his pensive look.

As soon as he put his feet on the ground, he was assaulted by a yellow ball of fur.

«Genno! You're back! » Pikachu exclaimed with pleasure.

The hit almost knocked him down.

«Woah! I may not be for long if you keep doing that. » he protested.

«Sorry, sorry, it's the nerves. » the pokemon sheepishly said.

«Alright, forgiven. »

On the other side of the room, Blaine and Sabrina were staring at him, calculating something in the back of their mind.

«Is that all of you? » Genno asked. «Where are the others? »

They exchanged a look and nodded.

«They're taking care of the children somewhere else. We don't know the location of their hiding place, but we know for sure that Team Blast hasn't found them. »

A hint of careful planning appeared in the teen's eyes. Oblivious to the feint sign of mental activity, Misty continued Blaine's explanation.

«As for Surge, he's heading toward the television studio. »

That definitely surprised Genno.

«What? Why would he go in a public place at a time like this? Isn't Team Blast looking for him as well? »

«He said it was worth the risk… and that Team Blast would soon be unable to put its threat into execution. »

Before he could control himself, the teen narrowed his eyes at the comment.

Fortunately for him, that single mistake went unnoticed. Instead, he heard Pikachu asked him with a worried voice.

«Where's Ash? »

He had been really happy to see Genno, but he was also terrified that Ash was nowhere to be seen. He had been able to hold it for a few minutes, but that was his limit.

Pikachu saw his friend look at him in the eyes. There seemed to be a calculation in it. Why did he need to ponder about giving him news of Ash? There… wasn't any reason to… right?

With a shaking voice, he started in a way that made them shiver.

«I don't know how to say this… it's… my fault… I… I… I failed you all… When… Ash and me got in Jonathan's office… he was waiting for us… »

Misty and Pikachu were listening with the feeling that time had stopped. A twisted atmosphere had fallen on the room and was keeping them from breathing. Where… was he going with this?

When they saw tears pearl in the teen's eyes, their heart skipped a beat.

«He's dead! Jonathan shot him! »

The world broke apart.

It was a lie. It was impossible. Ash could not possibly be… dead. That was just a cruel joke. ASH COULD NOT BE DEAD!

Misty fell on her knees, clutching her chest. There was no way this could have happened!

Sabrina was at her sides, trying to comfort her. This was not good. If she kept doing that…

The sorrowful girl started hyperventilating. Her throat was too tight, her breathing was erratic.

«Misty! » Sabrina said, concerned about her worsening condition.

Sabrina had no idea of what to do. At this rate, she could suffocate.

«Misty, get a grip on yourself! » she pleaded.

She was not paying attention to any words Sabrina had said at her intention. Ash was dead! What could possibly have any importance after this?

A powerful flash of light blinded them all.

Misty looked up, too stunned to think about her pain. Pikachu was breathing heavily, his eyes full of tears, and looking furiously at Genno.

«It's your fault! » the pokemon shouted. «It was your duty to protect him! »

«You have no right to say that! » he yelled just as angrily, ignoring the pain from the shock. «You're his pokemon; you should have prevented him from going in the first place! »

The words sliced through Pikachu's anger like paper. He staggered on his feet as if he had been hit.

«That's… »

«Ultimately, you could have refused! He would not have left his son alone, but you gave him a way to escape that! »

Unable to bear it any longer, Pikachu ran away, followed by a confused Alexchu.

«Chu? Chuuuuu? » he asked while trying to catch up with his uncle.

Misty suddenly rose to her feet and ran after them.

Genno stayed where he was, looking furious, not noticing the baffled expressions of Sabrina and Blaine. Rudely, he said:

«WHAT? What is it? »

* * *

He didn't know where he was. His whole body ached. Some blurry images of someone holding another on the ground was flashing in front of his closed eyes. He was lying on something soft, wasn't he? Where was he? He… couldn't quite remember. What had happened? He had the feeling he had ran downstairs at some point and then… an intense light.

It came back to him! His mother had pinned down someone and he had heard the noise of someone breaking in… and he had been knocked out before he could do anything useful.

His mother! Was she okay?

His anxiousness gave him the strength to open his eyes.

Neglecting his spinning head, he tried to get up, only to feel a pair of soft hands lift him.

«Don't be so hasty, honey. You're still weak from that hit you've received. »

«Mom? » he asked, confused.

How could he have not noticed she was next to him? Was he really that hurt?

«I still can't believe that's really Ash. It's just… » someone else declared.

«Gary… you've seen what Team Blast has done before.» Professor Oak reasoned.

«Yeah… but… it's Ash we're talking about. He's not the kind to be so weak and be captured like that. »

Ash's jaw dropped. Did… Gary just praised him? What? Was the world about to collapse or something?

This brought a smile to Delia's lips. She cheerfully said.

«My, Gary, I knew you were fond of Ash, but not to the point of saying it in his face. »

Gary's eyes finally met Ash's. The skeptical teenager's objection blocked in his throat. That… that pikachu's gave him a familiar feeling, but… Ash? His rival would not be so easily defeated, right?

Then, he remembered the smug look on the pokemon's face when he declared he missed Ash in front of his grandpa.

Rapidly, blood rushed to his face. Oh crap! It really was Ash.

Grumbling, he sat down, next to his grandfather, trying to ignore the mocking «pika piiii.» Ash was throwing at his face. Darkly, Gary thought he had to find a way to get back at him.

«Now, now, Gary, Ash, it isn't time to revive your old rivalry. » Professor Oak intervened.

«He's right. » Delia added. «We need to think of some way to bring Team Blast down. Things are getting out of hand and, from what Ash told me yesterday, the best time to strike may be near.»

«What do you mean? » Oak asked, frowning that something had been kept from him.

Before his old student could reply, the program on the TV suddenly changed.

«I think I mean this. » she said, without losing her smile.

All three boys turned toward the machine and stared at the screen. A woman looking extremely excited appeared, almost screaming to them.

«Dear viewers, this is unbelievable! Less than ten minutes ago, someone broke in our studios to talk to Kanto. However, for his speech to be relevant, we need to show you this tape. »

The image changed without warning and switched to what was obviously amateur filming. It showed the images of a sober room looking like a lab.

However, the unremarkable room did nothing to catch people's eyes. Just like every other time the news had suddenly interrupted a program, people were glued to their television. So, the man that appeared on screen almost stumbled when he entered their field of vision.

Muttering something like «Oh, I just had to stumble for no reason when we were filming! », he turned to the camera and tried to hide his excitement.

Ash's jumped on his feet.

«Stan Folklow? »

Ignoring her son's sudden movement, Delia whispered:

«Hum… his face looks familiar. »

«It should, Delia. This is Stan Folklow, one of the poke-geneticists that escaped from Team Blast place. »

She snapped her fingers, finally recognizing the man.

Stan coughed to keep his voice under control and said, barely containing his joy.

«People of Kanto, my name is Stan Folklow and I have an extremely important announcement to make. After weeks of research, we, all six poke-geneticists kidnapped by Team Blast, discovered a counteragent to the DNA samples. »

Thousands of people gasped at the same time. This better not be a joke!

As if catching his viewers' emotions through the camera, Stan hastily continued.

«We were part of the team that had to work on it, so trust us when we say that we know what we're talking about. But I know you don't care about looking at my face right now, so we'll give you results. »

The man put his hand on the camera and shifted it to the other side of the room, where the other poke-geneticists were waiting around a pichu. Helen was talking to the small pokemon, while the others were nervously looking at the camera.

«Robert, Helen, whenever you're ready. »

They both nodded and Robert pulled a test tube containing a white liquid. It was almost disappointingly ordinary; it could have been a glass of milk for what they could see. However, when Robert poured the liquid on the pokemon's head, thousands leaned closer toward the screen to see everything.

For a moment, it looked as if it had failed.

For a moment, only.

Quickly, the pichu started to scratch his arms, as if they were aching. The scientists all moved away from the small pokemon, observing its reaction. Ash noticed in the back of his mind that none had any doubts in their eyes.

Slowly, the pokemon grew in size, his fur turning to a blonde color rather than a golden yellow. When it started to let out startled cry, its body structure was clearly changing. As the process continued, the lights were made in peoples mind, bathing their hope that it was working. Their children could be saved! Just like this one was.

After less than a few minutes, the kid was human. Sebastian was staring at his hands in amazement, an infinite joy on his face. Though, when he realized he was naked, he blushed deeply. Fortunately, Helen came with a towel and wrapped the nine year old boy in it.

The camera was once more turned to Stan's face.

«The counteragent is working. Team Blast's threat is no longer effective! »

And on those last words, he grinned of pride. The few that knew him well enough could also tell that his smile could be taken as a massive «Take that! » to Jonathan Avery.

Leaving every single citizen of Kanto stunned with hope and amazement, the image returned to the now overly excited reporter.

«That's not all! Now that we've shown you this, you need to hear Lt. Surge, the leader of Vermillion City's gym, who defeated every single member of Team Blast residing in our studio by himself! »

Once more, their television showed someone else, one who was preparing for a great declaration.

Surge wiped a little blood on his cheeks and looked at the camera.

«People of Kanto, I came here today to deliver you this piece of information. »

He was never really a man of words and he proved it once more.

«All seven gym leaders including myself attacked Team Blast a few days ago. Our action was a success as we freed every single hostage held by Team Blast. The police force of viridian city is no longer held prisoner and the children who were kidnapped were all saved. Oh, before I forget, the kids that were turned into pokemon were all gathered and hidden in a secret place out of Team Blast's reach. »

There were no words to describe the astonishment of the citizens of Kanto, but there was one to describe the burning emotion inside of Jonathan Avery: fury.

«None of you has to obey Team Blast anymore. However, if I were to say one thing you should do, it would be this: make… them… pay! »

A growing determination rose in thousands of hearts as some people descended in the streets and looked aggressively for members of the criminal organization. Oh, some of them were bitterly surprised to realize that they had no hold on them anymore and completely frightened when they knew they were about to feel the wrath of angry parents.

Once more, Surge yelled his order.

«MAKE THEM PAY! LET THEM FEEL THE WRATH OF KANTO! »

* * *

«Your orders, sir? » soberly asked a man in red and black.

«Evacuate this place immediately and move everyone to our new hiding place! There is no time to lose! » Jonathan shouted.

Those… those… ARGH, he couldn't find a way to describe those accursed gym leaders and those arrogant poke-geneticists wannabes.

How dare they destroy so much careful planning? He'd crushed them right now if he had the means, but he was not foolish enough to believe that he had a chance to fight against all of Kanto unified.

As a thought crossed his mind, he called on of his subordinate and dictated:

«Notify the group we sent after Team Rocket. As soon as they find their hiding place in Pallet Town, they are to meet us in our new location. »

«Right away, sir. »

As the member ran to follow its boss's orders, Jonathan rumbled in thoughts in anger.

«I'll make them pay… and that object will be just what I need to. »

* * *

In his own office, there was a man that looked particularly satisfied with that turn of event. Finally! He didn't have to listen to that annoying whelp next to him, but much more importantly, his son had been changed back.

Said man gulped loudly. This was a nightmare, right? He would wake up now and not be next to the man that would kick his butt!

«Paul. » the mayor said in a rumble of thunder.

Or at least, that's what it sounded to the mole. In fact, Gregor was so happy that he had talked on an extremely nice tone.

«What is it, sir? » he struggled to say.

The man stood up, dominating the traitor with all his size. As the mayor locked his eyes in Paul's, he seemed to be bigger than ever. A giant talked to him.

«You are fired. »

As he let out a pathetic cry, the giant's fist made contact with his jaw, effectively knocking him against the wall.

While the pain erupted in him, Paul could hear his ex-boss say with a smug grin.

«Oh dear Mew! I wanted to do that for so long. I mean, sure the drug was satisfying, but nowhere near as good as beating the crap out of you. »

«You drugged me? » he replied in indignation.

His outburst was met with the strongest kick he ever felt. His gut definitely felt weird now.

Far from going soft, Gregor was not pulling back his punches. Paul was unable to move after two hits!

«Please… » he said in a shiver of fear.

The mayor looked at the man as if he was the most disgusting thing he ever saw. With a sight, he landed a final hit that made him unconscious.

«Good, now I can work full time on that project. »

* * *

They were alone. They had been stuffed into those makeshift cages and imprisoned in the back of that truck. It was as if there was a great urgency… almost as if…

Marco evaluated the situation. The members had all looked as if they were in a rush. This could just be them being zealous, but he doubted it. Most likely, there was something they feared if they stayed in the hideout.

The advantage of being a ditto was that you had no trouble seeing in the dark. The disadvantage was that you could go crazy with those kinds of eyes. For now, it wasn't what preoccupied him. No, it was Genno. The teen was sleeping, in human form, but it was far from peaceful. From times to times, he would start shouting, yelling in fear or pain.

Every time one of those freak out happened, Marco would grit his teeth, unable to do anything to calm the boy. Under those screaming, he could not be heard and he could not make physical contact with him… though he doubted he'd appreciate it. Janes… knew what she was doing. He was going crazy… or was already.

He observed Genno. Was it fair for someone to go through that? Could someone deserve to go through what he was going through?

«Janes would. » he thought. «Jonathan would also, seeing as it's his son that he gave her. »

It fed his rage. He had to get him away from them!

Repeating those thoughts in the dark, Marco didn't hear the first sign that his wish would come true.

At first, it was just a strong noise.

Then, it became more of a whistling through the leaves of the trees. A whistling that grew stronger and stronger.

And finally, it became the explosion that knocked down the truck they were in.

«What the? » the red ditto shouted.

He almost bit his tongue as his curse was cut short by the collision between his cage and the hard ground.

The glass shattered, freeing its prisoner.

As he looked around, he saw that Genno was also free, but the teen was laying there motionless.

Marco let out a well-deserved curse and ran toward Genno, which was still sleeping. His relief was cut as short as his curse when he saw the amounts of cut he had gotten from the shattered glass.

«Even with all those, he's not waking up? Man, Janes sure knows how to redefine pain. »

Another shock shook them from head to toes.

«What's happening out there? »

His question was answered when a fourth of the truck was blown away, freeing them completely. Without asking any other question, Marco shot a look outside and kept his surprise to himself.

An unknown group had attacked Team Blast's procession in the middle of the woods. What's more, the intruders were in a shockingly huge numbers and were attacking with a ferocity only found in fanatics.

As a man was sent flying toward them, Marco analyzed his outfit: he was wearing a green uniform, completed by a design of white stripes forming an odd «K».

«Who are they? » he thought. «I've never seen them before… well, no matter, we need to use this distraction. »

Without a word, he transformed into the knocked out man, quite ripped actually, and turned toward Genno.

«Now is our chance to salvage what is left of you. Just don't start screaming. » he pleaded.

Gently, he lifted the sleeping teen. When he was sure of his grip, he dashed through the fighters and escaped in the forest, hoping to escape his old organization.


	44. Madness

**Poke-genetics: madness**

Ash was sitting, his mouth wide open, as he saw the poke-geneticists succeed, followed by Surge's declaration.

It had been a success! It had worried him for a long time, but now he knew: the operation had succeeded. They didn't have any hostages now and it seemed like they had all gotten out safely.

He really hoped appearances reflected reality for once.

A sudden thought hit him. What about Alex? He was safe with Pikachu, but… he missed him and hoped his son was not too sad about his absence. Mew! How could he have done something so irresponsible? He didn't even think about it yesterday! What kind of father was he?

«Better than mine, at least…» a voice in his head said.

Was he really better than his father? His dad left, but it was to help them get over a financial crisis and then he had been stuck as a member of a criminal organization, unable to leave. Even now, he had caused so much trouble for Kanto, ignoring the pain he brought upon thousands… just to make sure he and his mom were safe…

«I miss you, Alex. » he whispered.

Ash felt miserable. He had gone with the others because he had to evacuate his mixed emotions. He was not better than his dad…

Feeling the sudden depression of her son, Delia tenderly stroked his head.

«Don't worry, Ash. No matter what the problem is, we'll find a solution. I promise. »

Ash's eyes fell on her and her smile. It left him with a warm feeling in his chest. He had been away from her for so long; he had missed her and her constant good mood.

«Yeah, and with me to help you, it won't take long. » Gary added.

Ash almost sweatdropped at that, but he managed to just smile weakly.

«Typical…»

«Talking of problems… » started Professor Oak.

They all turned toward the old man.

«There is still the problem of Team Rocket being around. Shouldn't we try to deal with them first? »

«We need to find them before we can do anything. » objected Delia. «No one even caught a glimpse of them since the time they were defeated. »

«Actually… » Gary replied with a grin. «I sent my pokemon to find them. They are supposed to come back today to report. With Ash able to write, we'll know exactly what we'll have to face and how to prepare accordingly. We'll know soon enough if we can finish the job the rest of Kanto started. »

Gary's statement left Ash wonder. Genno had told him that Team Rocket had already begun its operation in Pallet Town when Marco asked for its destruction. Was it possible that they had found the artifact that his father had talked about? If so, why didn't they use it to regain control of Kanto? It was supposed to be a really powerful relic of ancient times or something like that, no? By beating Team Rocket, they could get a hold of that object. If they had it, maybe they could stop Team Blast all together. He could finally save Alex's mother.

«In that case, let's go back to Prof. Oak's lab. I'll talk to my pokemon. » Ash declared.

Seeing the interrogative looks on their collectives faces, Ash grumbled a curse under his breath. He really hated it when no one understood anything he said.

Fortunately, they all followed him to the computer room.

* * *

Alexchu was following his uncle. Why was he running so fast? The little pokemon did not understand and he was starting to feel tired. For a second, he wondered where his dad was.

«Chuuuu! » he complained, wanting to catch his uncle's attention.

His plea fell in deaf ears.

Pikachu was too hurt to even notice his best friend's son behind him or Misty that was not too far behind for that matter. He was in complete denial.

Ash could not be dead! That was just plain impossible! They all lived so much together! Genno had to have seen wrong!

«He has all-seeing eyes… » reminded a part of his mind.

«NO! He probably made a mistake when he looked at him. It probably happened when he managed to escape. »

«If he did, then why isn't Ash with him? » it once more replied.

«That's… » Pikachu tried to answer, but the pain twisted his throat.

It couldn't have…

Wait! There was something wrong! How did Genno escape from Team Blast hideout? The place was in full alert and Sabrina's alakazam was gone at that point. He had to face his father and Janes was not too far. How did he do it?

Pikachu stopped without warning, causing a panting Alexchu to bump into him.

«Chu! » he said, annoyed.

There was something that didn't work here! It was completely stupid and probably immature of him, but if he could find even the slightest thing that was false, maybe…. maybe Ash was alright after all.

He turned around, facing Alex and Misty, who had stopped in surprise. She looked furious at the sudden joy on his face, but he could not explain it to her. Instead, he said it to Alex, who was sulking at his uncle for that race and the crash.

«Smile, Alex. Your father may be okay. We just have to get back to the gym and face Genno! »

Not really understanding Pikachu, Alex stood there with a confused look on his adorable face. This made Pikachu smile. It was such a mad hope, but it was still hope and it was enough to make him see the bright side of things.

«Oh, just cling to my back and I'll bring you back. » he said while crouching.

Familiar with that movement, Alexchu joyfully jumped on him and grabbed his fur.

«Are you read…»

«Well, well, look what we've got here. » an unknown voice declared.

Pikachu and Misty jolted in surprise and turned around to see half a dozen of men and women in red and black uniforms.

«The Cerulean gym leader and the Ketchum kid's pikachu. That should earn us a nice reward. »

Before Pikachu or Misty could react, one of them threw his pokeballs, revealing a golem and a tangela.

With a frightening speed for its kind, the golem jumped toward Pikachu.

Normally, he would have charged in and attack, but Pikachu was too conscious of the terrified Alex on his back. With a sidestep, he dodged in the nick of time.

«Pikachu, on your left! » Misty yelled.

Pikachu's head spun to his left, only to see a pair of tentacle heading for him. His reflexes alone allowed him to jump out of the way in time.

«Tch, both pokemon are types that are strong against electric types. It's just my luck that I can't go into a melee while Alex is on my back. » he mentally cursed.

«Starmie, use Hydropump on that golem! » Misty ordered.

The star-shaped pokemon spew water at the rock-type, only to see a watortle block it.

«What? » Misty exclaimed.

«You did not think we'd only bring a rock type against the water gym leader, did you? Which reminds me… » a member said.

The woman threw another pokeball, this one containing an electivire.

As if that was a signal, every other member threw their pokeballs, calling their pokemon to the fight. Back against a wall, Pikachu and Misty were staring at the group of pokemon in front of them. How could they get away?

«Tch, we may not have gotten Sabrina, Blaine or Surge, but we won't fail at getting you three! » a man said.

«Don't say unnecessary things. We'll capture everyone in due time. » a blonde woman interjected.

«We will, Sarah. » a blonde one assured with a smile.

During the exchange, Pikachu had glanced at his surroundings. There had to be a way to escape. In the corner of his eye, he saw something that completely shocked him.

«You said it, Elizabeth, we're going to get them. » the black-haired woman replied with confidence.

She was in for a surprise.

Their attention was all focused on their soon-to-be-prisoners, so when they were struck, they were completely unprepared.

A man came out of nowhere from behind them and had hit a member with a bat, effectively knocking him. As the member fell on the ground, everyone's eyes turned to the guy, all unable to understand what had just happened. Angry, one member shot a murderous look at the man.

«You've just made a big mistake, you idiot. This city's children will all pay for your insubordination. » he threatened in a hiss.

At that, the man started to laugh. The member who had just talked felt his jaw fell. What the…?

Paying no attention to Misty and Pikachu, the man just yelled.

«HEY! I FOUND SOME TEAM BLAST MEMBERS! COME HERE IF YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM A PIECE OF YOUR MIND! »

The members could not believe their ears. Was that person mad?

Unfortunately for them, madness was dangerously contagious that day.

Soon, a mob of angry citizens gathered and cornered the small group, leaving them baffled.

Misty and Pikachu immediately used this opportunity to flee undetected by their enemies. Not too long after they started running, they heard a few screams of pain and angry yelling. They gulped down, trying not to imagine what could happen to those back there.

To get out of the awkward silence between them, Misty tried to be cool-headed.

«Okay, Pikachu, we need to decide on what we're going to do. »

«We have to go back to the gym and face Genno! …and try to find out Sabrina, Blaine and Surge if what they said is true. »

Unfortunately, Misty didn't understand a word of his.

«If only… Ash was… » she struggled to say, starting to sob again.

«No, Misty, don't! » Pikachu shouted.

It was not the time to be depressed, especially when there was a chance that Ash was alive… No, not just a chance, he had to be!

The outburst caused Misty to calm down, realizing subconsciously what the pokemon had said. She had to be strong… at least until things were over… after all, Ash wouldn't want her to…

No! She had to stop thinking about that! If she did, she'd collapse on the ground and never stood up.

She wiped her eyes to clean her vision and with determination, she declared:

«We're going to check up on our friends in the gym, then… we'll go see Delia. »

* * *

Ash took a step toward the door. Why was he so nervous? They were his pokemon, of course they'd listen to him.

Right?

He swallowed loudly, allowing Gary to notice his state of mind. The boy opened the door and waited, leaning on the doorsill. He knew exactly what to say to ash to make him forget his hesitation.

«Come on, Ash, they're your pokemon. If you were a good trainer, they'll listen to you. Well, it's true that said this way, I'd be nervous if I were in your shoes… » Gary remarked with a smug face.

What? Gary did NOT just tell him that! He felt his anger rise inside him and reach his head.

«Argh! I'll show you how good of a trainer I was! » he yelled at his old rival.

His burning anger moving his limbs, Ash walked through the open door and went into Professor Oak's garden.

* * *

He shot a wary look at the woods surrounding them. Had they been followed? Hopefully, the darkness of the night was now enough to warrant their security, he was out of breath.

Marco kneed to the ground and delicately let go of Genno.

The teen lied there, sleeping, completely obnoxious to the dangerous situation that they had escaped.

Breathing heavily, Marco contemplated his protégé. Why had he taken such a sudden interest in him? Irony of the fate probably, as seeing his son, or at least his son's body, had reawakened something inside him. This kid had brought back memories he cherished more than anything, he couldn't let him fall.

After a certain moment of interrogations, Marco went to gathered things to make a makeshift camp.

* * *

There was a voice whispering to his ears, a voice he did not recognized, but that was terrifying.

«Oh Genno, it's time to playyyyy. » it echoed in his mind.

Genno eyes were shot open.

…Where was he? It looked like… a forest. Why was he here?

The noise of a heavy breathing made him gasp. He frantically looked around himself, only to see an unknown man next to him. As slowly as possible, he backed away, trying to get some distance between that stranger and him. When his hands made contact with the ground, he felt something akin to dry paper.

«Are those… leaves? »

Genno paused for a second. If that person was an enemy, why bother with making him a bed? Did that person… save him? Did that mean that he wouldn't…

His whole body began to shake at the thought.

…play with Janes anymore?

«Oh, I can't let that happen. » the same voice whispered joyfully in his ears.

This time, he knew who it was: Janes.

That simple name was enough to reduce him to tears. The sight of her slowly emerging from the shadow of the trees paralyzed him.

«No… » he begged. «No… no… please… I don't want to play with you… »

His tone was that of a child, afraid of some invisible creature lurking in the dark.

Hearing the teen talked to her that way made her shiver in pleasure. Oh, she just couldn't get enough of it.

«Genno. This is one of the rules: the game is only over when I say it is. »

At the mention of her rules, he broke apart. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Rules meant that he'd be punished. He didn't want to be punished.

His tears were rolling down his cheeks.

«Gennoooo, you remember my first rule, riiiight? » she asked, as if talking to a young child.

He looked down at his body. He started to hyperventilate. He was wearing clothes! That was against her rules!

«No, please! I didn't know we were playing! PLEASE! NO! DON'T PUNISH ME! » he yelled.

Pouting as if she was sorry, Janes walked toward him, getting closer and closer.

«I'd say that I have no choice, that the rules are the rules, but really, I'm only doing this for fun.» she declared as her face was distorted by another grin.

Genno curled up on himself, only for him to be lifted and pinned down against a tree. Prey of a limitless panic, he tried to struggled out of her grip, without success.

Her smile just widened as she took one of her knives.

Marco's sleep was cut off by the most terrible human scream he ever heard.

«Genno? » he said as he got to his feet.

Instantly, he spotted the teen screaming a few feet away from his bed. Marco ran to him, only to gasp in shock.

The teen was mutilating himself! He was scratching his face with his nails!

«GENNO! » he screamed, trying to cover the teen's own ply of help.

Genno arched suddenly, ripping his t-shirt barehanded, making Marco jump backward. Instantly, Genno stopped screaming. In their stead was numerous pleas for the pain to stop.

«Genno! We're alone! »

The tears and the begging didn't not stop. They just intensified as Genno rolled to his sides, curling on himself.

«Please, mistress. I'm obedient. Please… m…my love… »

After he muttered those last words, Genno had to put a hand on his mouth to keep himself from puking. Instantly, he started begging louder, his tears flowing more and more.

«No… I didn't mean to… NO! Please! »

Genno jolted on his feet and slowly backed away.

«I… it was… NO! »

He suddenly grabbed his right hand as if in pain and fell to his knees. His breathing heavier than before, he begged with that same pathetic voice.

«Mistre… my… my love… »

His hands found their way to his face.

«MY EYES! PLEASE! DON'T DO IT AGAIN! DON'T MAKE A MASK OUT OF MY FACE AGAIN! » the teen yelled in panic.

His eyes expressed horror once more and he fell on his back by himself, screaming.

«MY LOVE! MY LOVE! PLEASE! DON'T HURT ME ANYMORE! I… I LOVE YOU! »

After the echoed of his screams had died out, Genno was no longer panicking, just crying, his face in the dirt.

«I… said it… please just… leave me alone. »

When he felt a pair of arm surround him, Genno first tried to get free. However, the grip on him was firm and… comforting. It was not her burning embrace… it was just a gentle warmth.

«It's okay. » the stranger said. «She's not here. You're free…»

Free? Was this word supposed to mean something?

* * *

They were silent, shadows moving between shadows under the pale moonlight. They were numerous, they were about to strike their enemies. Their group was taking places around the hidden camp, waiting for a signal to fight and conquer.

Two shadows met each other, whispering under the darkness.

«Is everyone in its place? » the first asked.

The second only bothered to nod.

The first paused for a second, then talked once more.

«In that case, return to Gary and prepare yourself. We're going. » Ash declared.


	45. Battle in the dark

**Poke-genetics: battle in the dark**

«Still grumbling in your corner, Ben? » someone asked in a whisper.

Said man didn't answer and just looked at the pitch black forest they were hiding in. Why should he be anything but unhappy? Things had taken a turn for the worst, more than once. At first, they had failed to stop their rival from getting their hands on a few bank accounts, but nothing really drastic… until they revealed how far they were ready to go to bring them down, to get control over Kanto. From the moment Team Blast had shown what aces they had up their greasy sleeves, Ben knew they had been done for. It was just impossible to win anymore. The proud Team Rocket had been reduced to a mere shell of its former self and even that shell looked ready to crack.

«…you should try to sleep; our commander said we'd move away. We tried everything we could think of with that thing here. » the same person insisted.

Ben gave up and leaned against a tree, slowly sitting down. Their situation was hopeless, but at least a bit of sleep could give him the strength to continue.

«Goodnight Ben. » his friend wished.

«…Goodnight Michel. » he whispered in reply.

He sighted once more and closed his eyes; things couldn't really get much worse.

* * *

Ash took one last breath before the assault. He had to be timed perfectly right or else… With one powerful impulse, he began to run, using his nose and ears compensate for the lack of light.

He heard it, behind him: the sound of moving bushes. He jumped away, aiming for a nearby tree. He felt a sharp blade of pain bruise him in the back, where one of the razor leaves had hit him. Without losing time, he jumped down and continued to run.

They had to reach the camp immediately after the leaves. It had been chosen as their plan.

«Listen everyone, we'll start with the grass-types. Their role will be to attack from a distance to weaken them first. For that, they'll use razor leaf. » he had explained before.

«But why razor leaf? It's not that strong… » one of his pokemon had objected.

«That may be the case, but it has a definite advantage. It's extremely hard to detect in a forest, unlike most flashy moves you know, and it can be used from a fairly big distance. Plus, it'll create some confusion. »

«Confusion? »

Ash ignored the few leaves surrounding him and charged right through the bushes, erupting in the middle of the camp.

«Attack! » he yelled.

Most of Gary's and Ash's pokemon jumped in the middle of the camp, throwing in their strongest moves at the humans struggling with the torn pieces of their tents. In a matter of seconds, the camp turned into a battlefield. Not down for the count, the enemies had called their pokemon and started fighting desperately.

In the center of this agitation, Ash was searching for one thing: the artifact that they got their hands on. This was the key to their conflict, he had to get it... and more importantly, make sure Team Blast didn't.

A flash of light to his left alerted his senses just in time for in to dodge the incoming orb of fire. He used a quick-attack to evade it and landed on a branch. From his newfound perch, he could see the fights below him.

He bit his lips; things were violent... as far as he could assess. The darkness made it hard to see sometimes and his other sense were overwhelmed in such conditions. For a second, he was tempted to give the signal, but… he shouldn't! Fortunately, his side seemed to be winning. That comforted him and reminded him of his goal: finding the item they had retrieved.

There! A man with an unusual Team Rocket uniform was attempting to run away with something in his hands!

Without hesitating, Ash jumped toward the man, focusing on him entirely.

A big mistake.

Just as he was about to land, the scenery suddenly turned around and he was sent flying against a tree. Under the veil of pain, he saw a pidgeot diving toward him, wanting to finish what it started.

The former trainer focused as hard as he could, charging his energy. Ash gritted his teeth, pushing the pain away and preparing his counterattack.

The bolt of lightning erupted from his body at a frightening speed, heading straight for the flying type.

It dodged.

Ash gasped in shock as he saw the pidgeot change its trajectory at the last second and accelerate toward him. It was too fast; he wouldn't have the time to stand up.

«I can't… dodge! » he realized with horror.

Ash stared at it, waiting for the impact.

«HEY! DON'T RUN AWAY FROM OUR FIGHT! » a pokemon suddenly yelled.

And before Ash could react, the pidgeot was tackled in midair by one of his allies.

«Gible? » the teen said in disbelief.

«Oh, hi Ash. » he waved a paw at him. «What are you doing, lying against a tree? »

«He's as slow as ever...» Ash thought.

When he saw that his pokemon was sincerely expecting an answer, Ash added in a sight.

«I was hit by that pidgeot while I wasn't looking… Oh crap! The artifact! » he finished with urgency, hit by the realization.

«Huh…what artifact? » Gible asked.

Ash jumped on his four legs and made a sign to his pokemon.

«There's no time to explain, just follow me! »

Followed by Gible, Ash slalomed between the fighters, going in the direction of the man he saw before. Unfortunately, he was nowhere in sight.

«I hope he didn't have a psychic type with him… » he wished.

As he ran, he felt the adrenaline suppress the pain, letting him use his full strength again.

«If that guy escapes with it, this whole fight would be for nothing! »

As he dashed in the forest, he caught a glimpse of a dark silhouette moving between trees. He turned right, followed by Gible, and charged at him. The man's silhouette got bigger and bigger until…

«STOP! » Ash screamed with all his might, already in the air and preparing for an Iron tail.

The man turned around to see a flashing tail connect with his face and send him to the ground. Ash, panting, saw the Team Rocket member stand up as if that was nothing. Without skipping a beat, he threw a pokeball toward him.

«Go Muk! Flatten that damn rat! »

The mass of poisonous goo materialize just over Ash, casting its massive shadow over him.

«Look out! » his Gible yelled while pushing Ash out of the way.

Ash rolled on the ground with the impact of his pokemon. His Gible certainly packed muscles and his painful ribs were confirming that thought.

The man saw his muk fall on a pokemon he hadn't spot yet and grinned. That was one pokemon down.

«Gible! Use Draco meteor! » Ash ordered.

For a moment, he wondered if he had been heard as the muk simply stayed where he was, trying to suffocate his opponent. Then, he caught a faint muffled noise. After that, the muk started to twitch, seemingly uncomfortable. A red light started to emerge from under it.

The Rocket member felt his jaw fell when his muk was sent flying straight upward by an orb of energy. He practically gasped when it exploded in the sky and meteors rained down around him, creating clouds of dust.

When his vision was cleared again, he could see the pikachu and the gible staring at him.

«Pika Pi Pikachu! » it said to him.

He would be damned before his escape was ruined by a simple pikachu!

Ash saw the man turned around to run and grinned.

«Fine. If you want to do it this way… » he said.

He crouched, his body almost touching the ground, and pushed on his hind legs as hard as he could.

The man saw a line of light pass him by and stop in front of him. With an arrogant smile, the pikachu was standing in front of him, ready for a fight. He turned around and started to run again.

From times to times, he would see the pikachu quick-attacked to get in front of him and every time he'd run in the opposite direction. Why wasn't it attacking?

Breathing heavily, he stumbled on a root and fell to the ground, going right through a bunch of bushes. His face in the dirt, he heard a concerned voice asked:

«Captain Blackbird! Why did you come back? »

Horrified, he realized that the pikachu had led him back to the camp.

«YOU! » he shouted at the pokemon behind him.

It was over; he could see it with a glance. His subordinates were all worn out or unconscious. They had taken down a suitable amount of opponents, but it was as far as they could go.

Team Rocket had finally fallen.

«No! It can't end this way! » Blackbird desperately declared, clutching the wrapped up relic.

«You're a sore loser, you know that? » an unknown voice came from the woods.

As a single man (or pokemon), everyone turned toward the direction it had come from. Ash growled in anger when he recognized the red and black uniform.

It was a middle-aged man with a smug look on his face that walked in the middle of the camp, followed by a two dozens of subordinates.

«Seriously, Blackbird, all it takes are the pokemon of one or two trainers to bring you down. Knowing how to be the third dog sure is useful. Did you think that your pathetic team would manage to survive our rising to power? »

On the ground, said man replied with a spiteful:

«Huh? Is that a loser from Team Blast that I hear? It's hard to tell when they have their butts kicked by every single citizen of Kanto pretty much everywhere. I've heard you even had to move to avoid annihilation. Real impressive. »

«Pff, minor inconvenient, with what you're holding, those idiots will get their just desert for opposing us. That being said, give it to me. »

A flash of light blinded him and he jumped on his sides, evading the lightning that came in his direction.

«I see… ATTACK! »

Blackbird closed his eyes. It was the worst possible outcome. Those annoying runts from Team Blast were going to get the artifact Giovanni had wanted and use it to gain power over Kanto again. There was no doubt that they'd get the artifact; even the pokemon that attacked them earlier were too tired to defend against twenty five criminals.

He heard a determined «PIKA» and he felt his eyes open by themselves. It was not giving up!

Ash yelled once more before jumping into battle followed by his remaining pokemon.

As he ran, he saw the arrogant look on their leader's face and his rage burned even harder. Without realizing it, his charge turned into a quick-attack.

«Them! It's them! » he thought, slowly letting his anger take control of him. «It's their fault! »

The captain's smirk suddenly disappeared when he saw the lightning swelling around the pikachu's body. As fast as he could, he called out his own pokemon.

His primeape roared once before throwing a punch at the electric type.

Ash saw the punch come toward him and jumped to his right, running around the pokemon altogether. He had but one target…

He rocketed to the man's stomach.

The members of Team Blast turned around as they heard the scream of pain and were completely shocked at the sight of their unconscious leader.

Ash staggered, feeling terribly dizzy. It was the first time he used Volt tackle and he finally realized how dangerous its side-effects were. The worst part was: he was still in the middle of a battle.

Furious, the primeape had turned around, his fists on fire. The ape pokemon shot its most powerful Fire punch at the pikachu that dared attack its master.

Ash closed his eyes as he saw the attack come toward him and flinched, hoping it wouldn't hurt too much.

«Huh? » the fighting type exclaimed.

Surprised, Ash looked up and saw vines holding the primeape in place. With a glance, Ash recognized his bulbasaur.

«We heard your signal. » he said, as if that explained everything.

It did.

That was the other reason they chose to attack with razor leaf first. It wouldn't be a great choice if they were going for an all-out battle from the very beginning. However, they taught things to be suspicious and dangerous enough for a little insurance. Razor leaves would be hard to trace back, so if there was hidden Team Rocket members, they couldn't trace back the grass-type. It would allow them to hide and wait for the right moment to strike.

It was truly the right moment. All four grass types had jumped and interfere with a crucial or finishing move, allowing a clean hit on Team Blast's pokemon. Gary's venusaur had stopped a dozen pokemon in the same manner Ash's bulbasaur did and was still holding them.

Gary looked proudly at his pokemon and concentrated on his opponent once more.

Ash, on the other hand, was trying to get to his feet. The after effects of his Volt tackle were fading and he knew he had to fight. One pokemon was more than enough to make a difference at this point. Once more, he jumped into battle.

He lost the notion of time. He fought an enemy with one of his pokemon and struggled to overcome it, then moved to another fight. More than ever before, Ash felt like he was no a trainer. No, he was one of the fighters, one that was desperate.

In the midst of the battle, he saw a thin veil of purple dust float over their head.

Not even bothering to wonder where it came from, Ash yelled to his pokemon.

«Everyone! Use attacks to blast things away! Those that can't take cover under the trees! »

In one second, he knew he couldn't get away without his opponent wasting him. Swallowing loudly, he focused the remaining of his strength in his cheeks.

«I hope I get this right… » he thought with apprehension.

Ash rolled on his back and started spinning.

Before the criminal he was facing could ask why he was acting like a top, Ash unleashed a Thunderbolt.

The lances of lightning spun with Ash, effectively shoving the poison spores away and keeping him safe.

All around the camp, Ash's pokemon and Gary's were acting in similar ways, not caring about the confused criminals all over the place. A series of explosion was more than enough to make them worry… too late.

When Ash stopped spinning, not even having the strength to fight anymore, he saw the criminals wincing in pain on the ground. Between two heavy panting, he whispered a weak:

«I knew it. »

But who unleashed a poison spore attack like that one over a battlefield? It couldn't be someone like Professor Oak as he'd never risk harming him and Gary. Neither could it be one of Team Blast's allies as they had all been surprised and beaten by it.

Who was it?

His question was answered as yet another group of people entered the camp from the cover of the trees. Those were wearing a green uniform completed by a white «K» on their chest. The woman leading them stopped next to the man who had led Team Blast here, who was twitching out of unconsciousness.

She shot a look so heinous at him that he flinched. However, her voice was perfectly controlled when she talked.

«You were the one that said being the third dog was useful, weren't you? »

This time, her lips formed a smile.

«You should know that by saying that, there might be a fourth one. »

«You… you're the ones that attacked us when we were moving away! » he said with disbelief.

«We are. »

«Who… are you? » he asked with a deep caution.

Ash could smell the sweat on his forehead, not a pleasant sensation, but useful information. He was afraid of who she was.

«Us? » she asked, as if surprised.

She turned around at her subordinates.

«Who we are? A member of Team Blast want to know who we are. We have to answer, don't we? »

Her followers expressed her feelings by laughing.

«It's ironic really. We're here because of you. »

«What? »

«We already existed in Kanto before you started to act like idiots. However, your success inspired us. You had Kanto in your hands for weeks. Had you not been sloppy in the end, you would have won. »

«That… doesn't answer my question… »

«Oh, but it does. We are the ones that are looking at the future. This region is decaying slowly. It won't change in our lifetime, but some here will: the children. We want to model the children into the ideals we believe in. Truly, up until two months ago, we were just debating in public and such, but you've shown us the true way to change things. Now, we want to destroy you, as you are a threat to our authority, then we'll be able to act on our true plan: raise the children of Kanto ourselves. You asked us who we were… we are the team that will control Kanto, we are TEAM KANTO! »


	46. Family reunion

**Poke-genetics: family reunion**

She could see the look of incredulity, of restrained horror that was quickly spreading to the few that could still hear her. Goodness, this was how good it felt to crush enemies? No wonder so many people turn bad. She took a mental note to tell her boss about this; it may be useful.

But no matter, she had something to do.

«Seize every single one of them. We'll… »

She stopped, a flaring light caught her attention.

The blonde woman turned around, carefully trying to identify the source of that orange light.

Her followers heard her quickly give an order.

«Everyone! Take out your water types now! »

As they obeyed, they saw a figure walking toward them in a slow motion.

«What is that…? » asked one of the woman's subordinate.

She didn't know the answer. It looked like a monkey pokemon, but she never saw one like that before. While it was walking in a sloppy manner, the intense flame on its head was not weak at all.

From her right, she heard another pokemon yell.

«PIKA! PI PIKACHU!»

The fire pokemon moved so fast it startled her. It raised its head and faced them. Without losing a heartbeat, it opened its mouth and spat fire.

«EVERYONE USE WATER ATTACKS! » she ordered as fast as she could.

The wall of fire met their pokemon's water attacks in a blast of boiling steam. They shielded their faces and body as well as they could.

For a moment, she lost sight of their targets. «Hum… this was unexpected… » she thought. «But it doesn't really matter; our superior numbers will be enough to ensure victory. Not to mention the level of fatigue that plagues their ranks. »

When her vision was cleared, she noticed the disappearance of the cornered Team Blast captain. In spite, she bit her lips. He would have been a valuable hostage and source of information.

In the end, she shook her shoulders. It wasn't that big of a loss if the others members were still in her hands… and they were.

While half the pokemon had disappeared in the same fashion, both the members of Team Rocket and of Team Blast were still lying on the ground, just like a minute ago.

She hid her smirk behind her command.

«Tie them up; we'll see what we can get from them later. »

Pensive, she wondered about those pokemon. They were clearly not Team Blast's pokemon as they fought them and it was the same for Team Rocket, so… whose pokemon were they?

* * *

His body felt sore. His countershield had drained the last of his strength; now just walking was painful. But more than his physical pain, it was Ash's pride that was hurting the most. They had failed!

As soon as Infernape had unleashed its flamethrower, powered by his Blaze ability, that guy from Team Blast had jumped out of the way… and ran to Blackbird. Without giving time to any of Ash' s or Gary's pokemon to react, he called a Mr Mime and disappeared with the item he was holding.

Ash felt like punching trees right and left… or at least he would was he not so tired.

«Ash… » a voice from his left came to his ears.

«I'm fine, Gary! » he shrugged off rudely. «I…I'm… fine… »

He felt his eyes close as the darkness numbed his body, claiming him.

His body was lifted carefully by human hands.

«You really give everything your all… even if it hurts you. »

Without any other word, he led the pokemon back to Pallet Town.

* * *

The next day, rumors rose from the cities. A new team had appeared they said. Men and women in green and white trying to eliminate Team Blast were spotted in a few places. While anything that could threaten Team Blast was to be cheered, some feared they'd be as dangerous as them… if not worse.

Those words seemed carried by the winds, as they spread through Kanto faster than any other rumor before.

It even reached down the darkest places…

«Another Team? Ridiculous! » a man shouted.

«Shut up, Elliot. » a woman next to him ordered.

«Don't tell me what to do, Elizabeth! »

«Both of you, knock it off. » a third person interjected.

This time, the man stopped talking. It was Sarah, their team leader and Elizabeth's friend. Even in prison, hierarchy was something that members of Team Blast had to respect.

The black-haired woman didn't even look at the two quarrelling teammates. She knew they'd obey her orders as soon as she uttered them. It was like that in Team Blast… or it had been.

Sarah sighted. She missed Marco. That man… that man had changed her life and her friend's life for the better… but he was sick. Nailed to a bed… where she had visited him multiples times. Every single time, he had been unconscious, healing from the injury he had gotten from his fight with Giovanni.

But the more she thought about it, the more confused she was. How could he have gotten injuries when Giovanni had been neutralized? Had the man fought back in desperation?

Even then it could not have been that serious.

Janes's had refused to talk and as her superior, Sarah didn't have the right to interrogate her. She had always been suspicious of the teary tale she had first given. Everyone knew she was a complete sadist… and the number one authority in field missions. She was the equivalent of Captain Seriza when it came to direct actions. She was not number two in Team Blast for nothing…

Sarah had kept her mouth shut, but in the darkness of her cell, she could freely let her doubts loose. Their true leader was not sick like Jonathan Avery had pretended. She knew that much and she wanted to act on that intuition.

Team Blast was not Team Blast without Marco Blaze leading it.

«Good grief… you kids can't stop quarrelling when I'm not around, can you? » a familiar voice interrupted her train of thoughts.

They all recognized her.

«Captain Seriza! »

* * *

Delia walked to her son's room, checking on his pink pokeball. When Gary had come back with her son in his arms, she didn't lose time and put him back in his healing pokeball. It was in time like this that she realized how inconsequent it was for their town not to have a pokemon center or a hospital. She couldn't thank Mew enough for that healing pokeball. While Professor Oak had some knowledge in that field, the item was much more efficient.

As she examined it, she realized it was no longer glowing. Smiling, she opened it, letting out her son. When he materialized, he stretched out, as if he had been sleeping.

«Huuum… I've passed out, didn't I? » he said with a tired voice.

Noticing the scent of his mother, he turned around.

«Mom! » he exclaimed as he jumped in her arms.

«I'm glad you're alright. » she whispered to his ears.

Ash hid a faint smile. No matter how badly things were turning out, he still had people to cheer him up.

When she loosened her grip, he asked her.

«What happened, mom? I fell unconscious in the woods… I think. »

For some reason, he thought he saw a hint of pain in her eyes, but that impression disappeared quickly. With a bright smile, Delia put him on his bed and sat down. There, she put her hands in her pocket and took out a small device.

«Here, I bought this for you yesterday. This is an electronic notebook. You can use it to talk with anyone you want to. The best thing is you can hang it around your neck with its cord. »

Touched by the gift, he whispered a grateful «thanks».

«Try it. » his mom encouraged.

Controlling his shaking paws, he typed his first message.

«Oh, Ash, you know it's the least a mother can do. » she said while rubbing his hair.

«I still want to thank you. »

«In that case, I'll accept it, my cute little hardheaded son. »

The nickname made him chuckle lightly. This was so… perfect. No pain, no conflict, just enjoying a little bit of peace with his one the people he loved. If only it could last forever…

But it couldn't. Team Blast had gotten what they shouldn't… and he had no idea what it was.

«Mom… what happened while I was in my pokeball? »

Her smile faded as she explained the situation to her son.

«When Gary brought you here, you were wounded. Your ribs had taken a nasty hit and I put you back in your healing pokeball. Your other pokemon are resting; some were hurt pretty badly. You've been in your pokeball for the past twelve hours. During that time, I've heard something strange. A new team has appeared and is striking down any place with a link to Team Blast. I'm not sure if this is true. »

«It's true. » Ash wrote bitterly.

«Really? »

«They attacked us when we were fighting the other Teams. »

Delia suddenly lost the last of her brightness and looked in deep thoughts.

«You met them yesterday and there are already rumors about them circulating… I wonder how much they did to get themselves known so quickly. »

The thought made him shiver. How much had they actually done for them to be known in the space of a day? He was glad he was not their targets. That was a nice change of habits.

Before either him or Delia could elaborate on that thought, they heard the sound of a ringing doorbell.

«I'm coming. » Delia said loudly, hoping to be heard by the people waiting downstairs.

Curious, Ash followed her. Nowadays, people always had reasons to do things. It was probably a side-effect of the whole conflict with Team Blast they had to deal with.

Delia reached for the doorknob and turned it around, opening the door and revealing who was behind it.

Ash froze.

The ones he wanted to see the most were standing in front of him!

« Misty, Pikachu! »

Misty and Pikachu looked like they had been struck by lightning. However, as they saw Ash ran toward them, their shock was washed away by a relief so big their knees gave in.

Delia looked with delight as her son was reunited with his love and his best friend.

Tears flowed as the joy overwhelmed them, a moment of pure happiness. For as Ash missed them and felt guilty to leave them, Pikachu and Misty had to fight the horrible thought of him being dead. They had to cling to feeble hopes and hints of contradictions.

Not anymore.

Oblivious to all those strange thoughts, a little pokemon climbed down from Pikachu's back with a curious «Chu? ».

The noise immediately caught Ash's attention. A small yellow head appeared from behind Pikachu.

«ALEX! » Ash yelled, unable to contain his emotions.

The pichu's eyes were lit by comprehension as he recognized his father. With a «Chu! » filled to the utmost with happiness, he ran to his father and jumped on him.

Ash hugged his son with as much affection he could muster. There were no words to express how glad he was to feel his son's presence at his sides… nor to express how guilty he felt for fighting selfishly.

«I'm sorry, Alex. Dad should not have left you so selfishly. I'm sorry. » he repeated in a whisper.

«Chuuuu! Ch… c… Dad. »

Ash's heart missed a beat. Had… had he heard right? Had his son, his Alex, called him Dad? Had his son said his very first word?

His mouth wide open, he shot a stunned look at Pikachu who only smiled and nodded.

Having never felt so proud before, Ash rose his son over his head and smiled tenderly at his giggling pichu of a son.

He felt two soft hands find their places on his shoulders and their warmth was another drop of perfection to add to this moment. Delia and Misty couldn't tell what happened, but the look on both Ash's and Pikachu's faces were more than enough to understand how wonderful this had to be for him.

Not wanting to be left out, Pikachu punched Ash's jaw friendly, winking.

«Congratulation, Ash. »

«Thanks, Pikachu… it's… wow, I'm… I'm really touched. » he tried to say with a shaking voice.

«Take it easy… and cheer that moment. Pichus learns quickly how to become talkative. You won't feel that way in a few years. »

His laugh joined Alex's.

Delicately, Delia's hand reached for the pichu. Curious, the little pokemon sniffed the human that was close to him. Oblivious to the attention of others, he sneezed at the flowery perfume and tried to lick it.

«Aren't you the cutest pichu on earth? » Delia said brightly.

«He sure is. » Ash confirmed with a proud nod.

The «cutest pichu on earth» suddenly had a weird look. He put his chubby paws on his belly and complained with another «chu». Not a second later, a growling sound echoed in the corridor. Immediately, Alex started to cry, hungry.

Delia held her laugh quite well and simply said:

«Come in the kitchen, we'll get something for this hungry little pokemon. Can he eat solid food?»

At the question, Pikachu simply frowned and tilted his head to the side. Alexchu had not started, but he was old enough to try.

«Oh, it doesn't matter and he'll decide. »

As his mother made her way to the kitchen, Ash whispered to his son's ears alone.

«Now, don't burp after you've eaten or grandma will get mad at Dad, okay? »

His only answer was another giggle and Ash couldn't help but grin.

* * *

He was panting heavily. Sitting on a stump, he was trying to catch his breath. Carrying the teen for so long had been a task to his limit. He could only thank nature for having put so many berry trees on his way… and somehow, he thanked whoever was responsible for such a heavy sleep. When he was awake, things could get… awkward extremely fast or stay still for lengthy periods of time. He simply hoped that there would be a good solution where he was going.

As his breathing finally stabilized, he stood up. It was best not to lose time. He knew that things weren't going well for his former team and he wanted to save its remains.

Getting out of his thoughts, he grabbed the sleeping teen and put him on his shoulders.

«Come on, I can already see the borders of Pallet Town. » he said to encourage himself.

With his burden on his back, Marco Blaze walked toward the one place he thought he'd never see again, the one place he sent letters and money for years, the one place he longed to get back, the one place his family had lived in.

As he got there, he was hit by a sudden anxiety. How was Delia going to react to his reappearance? How was Ash going to react? Did he even know he was his father?

That last thought almost made him turn around. Almost.

With a trembling hand, he reached for the doorbell.

The light hearted sound resonated in the hallway. It was so much like Delia to have a doorbell like that one. He literally jumped as he heard someone said:

«I'm coming! »

That… that was Delia's voice. It was such a beautiful melody to his ears. Her steps came as if synchronized with his pounding heart. His mouth felt dry and his knees were threatening to flinch.

The door opened, letting him finally see the woman he loved. The sight of her erased any thoughts he had. He... could finally see her again.

However, his joy was not shared. Delia's expression was full of defiance as she asked.

«Who are you? And why are you looking at me like that? »

It was like being hit by a Snorlax's Body slam. What a total, absolutely, freaking, idiot? He was not in his body and he was expecting her to recognize him. What a moron! However… that meant things were going to be even harder. He slowly opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated.

«Sir, if you have any business with me, say it. »she ordered.

«Lilia… » he whispered.

Delia felt her strength leave her. No… that was impossible. Her hands were clutching against her doorknob like a safety boat. That nickname… she hadn't heard it in years. It was… what Marco used to call her.

«You… » she blabbered.

«I… I'm sorry. » he could only say.

Something snapped inside Delia. It was a boiling feeling that was rising in her and threatening to overcome her. Pouring her anger in that single gesture, she slapped him.

«How… how could you? »

«I… » he tried to explain.

«You have brought so much suffering. »

«I was trying to protect you. » he pleaded, almost desperately.

«To protect me? » she repeated.

«And Ash. » he précised.

At that remark, Delia lost most of her anger.

«You would have done the same. »

Seeing her staying silent, he developed his point.

«We both know what we'd do for Ash. Team Blast is supposed to have sent moles disguised as Ash in lots of place, including here. It was one of the reasons I wanted to come… did he come? »

«Yes… »

«And did you let him have his way? »

«Stop this, Marco… » she asked, quietly.

«Lilia! Don't blame me for something you'd have done in my place! »

At that, he saw her anger returned.

«I may have done it, but I would not have forgiven myself… and don't expect me to forgive you.»

Those words were like a knife stabbing him in the heart. As painful as it was, he had to bring something to her attention.

«Thanks… at least I know you understand. That alone… means a lot. »

«Why are you here? » she demanded.

«It's… because of him. » he explained, designing the sleeping Genno on his back.

Her anger was replaced by curiosity. Was this the friend Ash had talked about? But… didn't he say he was with the gym leaders? This was a mystery that they better shed some light unto.

«Come in… and think before you talk. Ash is here. »

At the warning, Marco's heart skipped yet another beat. His son… that would be the first time he could speak to him face to face.

Their voices echoed in the hallway… or was it more one human voice? He could understand the pokemon as well, but there was a difference…

One of those voices, one of them, was his son's.

As if time had slowed down, he took a step inside the living room.

They were four: one teenage girl and three pokemon. Out of those, there was a peculiar pikachu. He knew it with just a look; that was Ash.

A pair of brown eyes met another and, for the first time in fourteen years, father and son looked at each other.


	47. Explanation

**Poke-genetics: explanation**

He heard his mother say something. Minutes ago, she had left to greet whoever had rung the bell. Curious, he tried to make out their conversation, but he was too absorbed by his own discussion with his friends, not to mention that Alex was hugging a lot of his attention too. The same as ever, he was running around the place under their combined surveillance.

However, when he heard both his mother and the other person come back, Ash decided to grab Alex and make him sit for a while. Ignoring the pout on his son's face, Ash looked at his mother and the stranger entering the room.

It was a strange feeling. As their eyes made contact, Ash felt like… he knew that man. He couldn't tell why or who, but this brief silent exchange left him that impression.

As strange as that was, Ash completely forgot about it when he realized that the man was carrying someone: Genno!

He was about to jump to inquire about his friend just like Pikachu, when Delia spoke suddenly.

«You should bring him to Ash's room… »

At the suggestion, the man turned to her with a sorry look.

«It… wouldn't be a good idea to leave him there alone right now. »

They all looked at him curiously. What did he mean?

«Explain yourself. » she said coldly.

Marco bit his lips. That was not something he could announce to his son and his friends that recklessly.

«First, let me put him on the couch. This… could take a while to explain. »

As the man approached, Ash took Alex and jumped to the floor, letting the man install his friend comfortably.

What Ash had first mistaken for unconsciousness turned out to be a normal rest. Seeing this, Ash was about to wake him up when the stranger stopped him.

«Huh? » Ash exclaimed, feeling a firm grip on his paw.

«I'm sorry, but you shouldn't try to wake him up. »

He was clearly not the only one to be confused. Pikachu was obviously suspicious. As for Misty and Delia, they were waiting with expressions that were akin to skepticism.

The man sat on a free chair and held his hands together.

«Where should I… Hum… » he muttered, upset about this shocking truth he had to explain. «Okay. I should start here. Where do you think that your friend has been for the past few days?»

Pikachu and Misty shot each other a worried look while Ash was trying to grab the implications of the man's question.

Surprised at the lack of answer, Marco continued.

«When the attack the gym leaders… » he marked a pause to look at Misty. «launched against Team Blast succeeded, there was someone who got left behind. »

Ash felt his jaw dropped in horror. No… their friends… they were winning against Janes at the time, right? Surely, Genno had escaped with them… They didn't abandon him there, did they?

He shot a disbelieving look at Misty who stared blankly at the ground.

They… had met him in the Celadon's gym.

And he told them Ash had died.

That… was a fake?

Mutual horror was painted on the face of everyone present, minus Marco. He was only surprised. They had not even realized? Had there been a mole disguised as him in their ranks? If so, they had to do something about it. However, the most urgent task at hand was to inform them about Genno.

«Your assault had extremely positive results. Team Blast had lost every single hostage of value they had left. This left Jonathan Avery in a killer mood… and he had one of the perpetrators in his hands to vent that anger. He… used that opportunity. »

He did not even have to look to see that both Misty and Delia had put their hands in front of their mouth in shock and that Pikachu and Ash were staring at him in complete denial.

«What… did he do to his own son? » Ash asked with a shaking voice.

«Jonathan is always looking for… test subjects. He seemed very pleased to have a new ditto to experiment on. »

«He didn't… » Pikachu simply said.

«This lead to some extremely disturbing moments. I've witnessed some of them and… you should know that it wasn't pretty. »

A silence akin to that of a cemetery had fallen on the room.

«At that point, Genno was an emotional wreck. He was confused, sad, in pain and disgusted toward what his own father had inflicted to him. But… if it had only been that, he would have passed through this trial, I'm sure of it. »

He sighted in sadness. The boy had suffered too much, all while he could only whisper words of encouragement.

«To think that man would sink that low… » he said in a low, threatening tone.

«What has he done? » Delia inquired with unease.

«He asked… Janes to make him… obedient. »

They had reached a new degree of emotion that couldn't be classified as horror.

«She certainly knows her stuff. When he first came back, he had a dead look in his eyes. Apparently, that wasn't enough. Jonathan asked her to train him again. To his eyes, he was not obeying fast enough during his experiments. The second time she brought him back to his cage, he was covering in fear at the slightest sound. After the third time, he started talking to people that weren't there. He… lost a part of himself during each of his meetings with that… monster. »

He paused. The teenage girl and his wife were crying. The two pikachus face looked harder than diamond. Their rage was tangible.

«He hurt our friend», they were thinking. «That man will not get away with it! HE'LL PAY! »

And under that armor of anger, there was a lance of guilt that was piercing Ash's conscience. He was with him at the time. Genno had saved his life by catching him in that healing pokeball and saved him from that very same fate by sending him back to Professor Oak's lab. What had he done to help? Nothing. He had not helped his friend in any way. If, instead of going for a second hit, he just knocked the weapon out of the scientist's hands, he would have prevented that tragedy from happening.

Marco was unfortunately not done.

«He's still your friend, but… I'm afraid he lost his sanity. »

Why was he the one that had to say this? He didn't want to cause so much pain to his son and his friends!

But it was a duty that fell on his shoulders… as he had somehow taken part in that injustice. Team Blast existed because of him.

«This is why I insisted you let him sleep. You need to understand he is not the same as before. You could talk to him and he will sound the same as before… and then he would look at something that is not there. At that moment, he will lose any appearance of sanity and show you the depth of his trauma. »

«That's… » Ash tried to articulate, lost for words.

«So far, we have been lucky he hasn't had a nightmare. I can only imagine how frightening it must have been for him, and just that is enough to make me shiver. »

«How… how do you know all that? » Pikachu asked, disturbed.

«I told you. I was there when Jonathan experimented on him. »

Consequently, Pikachu took a more menacing posture.

«So you were a member of Team blast! »

Contrary to what they expected, he just burst out laughing. Between two deep breaths, they could hear him whisper something.

«Oh… the irony… »

Growing impatient, Pikachu started growling and got the man's attention once more.

«You could say I was at some point… though I wasn't really a proper «member» in the way you seem to believe. And no, I was not performing any kind of experiment on your friend either. No, while I may have been part of certain experiments, it was more as a test subject. »

Delia's eyes widened.

«But I'm just going in circles. I am Marco Blaze. »

Two voices joined each other in an aggressive battle cry. Marco watched as Pikachu and Misty, her pokeballs already in her hands, were standing in front of him with extremely clear intentions.

The information did not even register. More than those predictable outbursts, the lack of reaction from his son was much more important.

«Ash, don't you have anything to say? » he wondered, genuinely surprised.

His son was looking at his own son, who was getting bored with this conversation. Marco contemplated Ash as he played with Alex's hair.

«Honestly, I'm really angry at you. » he declared with a neutral voice.

A knot formed in Marco's throat.

«No matter how good your reasons were, what you've done is something I don't think I can forgive. The worst thing is: I don't hate you. I can't. »

Marco couldn't believe his ears, much like them moments earlier. The difference was that he was in shock because of the hope.

«Had I met you earlier, I would probably have hated your guts for abandoning us and creating Team Blast... but now that I have a son too… I… understand. »

There were no doubts in Ash's eyes or in his voice.

«If I was in the same situation, I might have done the same. Parents would go to any length to help their children, that's something I learned. It's just… what you did… I can't honestly hate you… but this doesn't stop me from being really angry at you. I don't accept you as my father yet… »

Okay, he had to be dreaming. This was the only explanation. His son knew who he was, what he had done and was not rejecting him completely? This was beyond his wildest hopes.

He was not the only one to be surprised at Ash's behavior. Once about to attack, Pikachu was trying to stop his knees from flinching. What in the name of Mew was his friend talking about? He did not hate Marco Blaze, the Marco Blaze that started this whole mess, the one that threatened Kanto?

«Ash… what are you saying? » he asked, confused.

Ash shot a delusional look at his best friend.

«Pikachu… Marco Blaze… is my father. »

«WHAT? »

«And everything he did… was to prevent Pallet Town from being destroyed, us with it. »

«But… you… the… » Pikachu muttered, not able to articulate a coherent thought.

«However, this doesn't explain how you were able to get here. » Delia stated, changing the subject to restrain herself from doing something she might regret.

Marco glanced at her. It was best not to do anything that might go against his wife's wishes right now. He had seen that look on her face before and that was rarely a good sign.

«After the recent events, Jonathan knew it was not safe to stay in the old headquarters anymore, so he chose to move. I was in the same car as Genno when a group attacked. In the middle of the confusion, I was able to escape, with Genno in my arms. I think they were wearing green and white uniforms. »

«Team Kanto! » Ash exclaimed.

«You know them? »

«Yes! They attacked us just when we were about to get whatever Team Rocket had stolen here. If it wasn't for them, Team Blast wouldn't have this thing. »

As Marco, suddenly pale, opened his mouth to answer, they heard a soft moan from the couch Genno was sleeping on.

«Genno! »

They immediately leaned closer to him and saw that he was slowly waking up.

«Humm… where am I? »

«You're in my house. » Ash answered.

A tired look on his face, Genno shifted to a sitting position and his two pokemon friends jumped to his sides.

«Oh, that's weird. I thought I was in a forest not too long ago… » he said for himself.

While they doubted Marco's words at first, something did seem off about their friend.

«I guess I'm hallucinating again… » he stated with a voice so heartbroken it shook them.

«No! No, Genno! You're not hallucinating! We're here! You're in my house, in Pallet Town! »

The lights of doubts in the teen's eyes were unbearable. It was one of the saddest things Pikachu and Ash ever saw. No matter how desperate things were, Genno had never shown that kind of despair. He was always looking toward the future. Now… now he was trying to know if he was even in the present!

«…maybe I am… I've never been here before… » he added pensively, looking in a blank space. «So, let's say I suppose this is not just a product of my imagination and that I won't wake up tied to a metal table with someone about to dissect me, what were you talking about then? »

«We were talking about Team Blast and Team Kanto. » Pikachu replied.

«Team Kanto? Who are they? »

«Another group of criminals that want to take control of the region. » he summarized.

«Another? » Genno whined. «Really? »

«Yeah, they even have the uniform. » Ash added sourly.

For some reason, it retained Genno's attention.

«What are they like? »

«Green with a white «K». »

His eyes widened and he stayed silent, thinking deeply.

«They're another group we'll have to deal with. »

At that, Genno reacted strongly.

«No! You… you can't! You have to focus on Team Blast! They're our enemies! » he protested.

«But… » Ash tried to object.

What happened next was burned into their memories. As Ash moved toward Genno, his left hand touched Genno's arm. The teen froze.

Under Marco's horrified eyes, Genno slowly turned to see where his friend hand was making contact with his body.

«It's… going to happen now! » Marco thought as he stood up.

Ash did not understand the sudden change of behavior. He was observing his friend's reaction when a shiver ran down his spine.

Genno's face was distorted by an unreadable expression.

And he screamed while holding his arm as hard as he could.

«MY ARM! » he yelled in pain.

All but Marco jumped away in shock.

«IT'S BLEEDING! » he continued to scream.

To Ash's horror, there was not even a scratch there.

«Genno! » he called as he approached.

His friend shrieked as he saw Ash moved closer.

«NO! DON'T TOUCH ME! » he begged.

Ash jolted as if he had been plunged in boiling water. There was so much fear in Genno's voice. How was that possible? His friend was afraid of him?

Even as he was screaming, Genno could hear the whispers of that voice.

«I told you it wouldn't end until I said so. Even if I'm not here, I can use my knives. I showed them to you, didn't I? There's Stan, Pikachu and Ash. They're here with you, ready to play at any time. Do you like it? »

Janes's voice became a poisonous whisper, fainter than the sound of the wind on his skin.

«Are you up for another game? »

When he felt a pair of arms hold him in place, he yelled in panic even louder.

«NO! I DON'T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE! »

«Chhh… it's okay, Genno. You're not playing with her. » Marco whispered to him. «You're not with her. You're with your friends. »

After what appear to be eternity, the screams died out, replaced by a quiet sobbing.

«I don't want to play… » he repeated.

«You won't. Don't worry. » Marco assured.

Petrified until now, Misty finally found the strength to move. With a quick movement, she took out one of her pokeball and called her pokemon.

«Milotic, come on out! »

They witnessed the apparition of the sea serpent pokemon with mixed feelings. What was Misty doing?

As it appeared, the pokemon graciously sled on the floor, moving toward the crying teen. With a soothing «Milotic», it started to glow a peaceful light. Alex, who started crying when Genno panicked, fell asleep.

Under the benevolent influence of the water type, Genno's sobbing stopped. For a second, he stared blankly at the pokemon, as if unable to see it, but after a moment, he gave in and fell in a deep sleep.

Fortunately, Marco's solid grip maintained him in place. Carefully, he lifted the teenager and turned to Delia.

«I think it would be best to let him rest. Is there any place he might sleep without hearing us? »

«We'll put him in Ash's room for now. » she replied.

As Marco followed her upstairs, Misty looked at her milotic.

«Good job, Milotic. Now, stay with him and calm him down. »

With a gracious nod, she agreed and went after Marco and Delia.

In the oppressing silence that appeared, Ash, Alex in his arms, was reflecting about what happened. «He was really afraid I'd touch him. Why? It's not… » A cold hand was holding his chest. It couldn't be! Was… his friend afraid because of what had happened in that office? At that time, he couldn't do anything to help Genno. He tried to knock his father out, but was shot instead. Genno had saved him with the healing pokeball and had been captured.

The horror was lingering in Ash's head. It was HIS fault! He had been a burden! He had not helped his friend at all. As a matter of fact, he had contributed to his demise! If he hadn't been so selfish, Pikachu would have gone instead and, being a much more powerful pokemon, he would have saved Genno from his father.

Ash could feel the guilt place a lump in his throat. It was his fault his friend was this way!

He was so deeply affected that he did not notice his parents coming back.

Marco announced as he sat back.

«He should sleep for a little while. He usually does that when he panics too badly. I honestly don't know what we could do for him. »

«For the time being, we should just let Milotic calm him down. She can influence people's emotion for the better. It should help him. » Misty stated.

Marco gratified her with a weak smile.

«Let's hope. »

He waited for a minute, eying Ash who seemed to have received a dangerous shock. His son was looking absent-mindedly at the pichu resting against his chest. It pained him to see Ash in such a state, but somehow, in a weird way, it comforted him to know a bit more about his son. He could easily tell what kind of person he was and the education hid Lilia had given him.

Delia, Misty and Pikachu all gathered around Ash and tried to comfort him the way they could. Marco wanted to join them, but he knew he didn't have that right yet. Instead, he waited for Ash to declare he was okay. More than that, his son asked him something.

«Marco… we were… talking about Team Blast and Team Kanto. We have to know, now that Team Blast has the thing you wanted to stop Team Rocket from getting. What is that thing? We could not find any records describing it or even giving it a name. »

When they saw Marco bite his lips, they were struck by an uneasy feeling.

«You are right. You have to know. » Marco conceded. «I am just surprised none of you realized it when you were so close to it. »

At that, Pikachu's ear went up, his whole attention toward Marco. Was he saying what he thought he was.

His motion didn't go unnoticed by Marco.

«Oh, you are starting to catch on, aren't you, Pikachu? Well, pokemon would know. It's more of a legend for them. You see, it goes back to the birth of pokemon on this land. It was told that, a night where the moon was dark and the sky was free of stars, when the land was dried of moving life, a shooting star was thrown from the infinities of the universe and fell to this earth.»

When he heard Pikachu gasp, Marco knew for sure that he had understood where he was going.

«In a great flash of light, it crashed in a forest and in a sound comparable to a thousand thunder, the star was known to this world. It is said that, in the middle of the crater, rested a rock. Its colors were more diversified than a rainbow, its glow brighter than the sun, its nature more mysterious than the moon and its qualities more numerous than the stars. As this earth cried upon the gift it had been offered, the rock cracked open. In what was the most cruel and benevolent act, the rock was fragmented and a great star was born. »

At the mention of the great star, Ash felt his breathing stop.

«The star looked upon this barren world, devoid of any fantasy and created the most extraordinary creatures known to man: pokemon. »

This time, Misty and Delia joined the others in their astonishment.

«Its task accomplished, the great star decided to hide, observing its children from afar, as a guardian angel. To this day, its kindness is still revered and continues to watch over us. That is the tale of the birth of life. »

Stunned but curious, Ash interjected.

«Wait! This doesn't tell us what Team Rocket had taken away. »

«It does, Ash. You see, the great star left it behind, in the middle of what is now called Cerulean Forest, in a place where no human is allowed to go. Unfortunately, one day, a pokemon whose motives were unknown, perhaps its trainer wanted it, perhaps it was acting on its own, stole it and disappeared with it. It is said that it lost it soon, unable to handle the item it had stolen. For long, no one heard of it, but, months ago, a rumor came to Giovanni's ears. It had been seen somewhere around Pallet Town. »

Ash and Pikachu turned and looked at each other with the same idea. A place where no human were allowed on… in Cerulean Forest… They knew a place like that.

Misty, her, didn't have any idea about a sanctuary, but there was one thing she was sure of: she was devoured by curiosity.

«What is it? »

Marco looked at her, then at Ash and Delia. In a theatrical manner, he said:

«You haven't guessed it by now? I'm talking about the remains of Mew's egg. »


	48. Salvation and damnation

**Poke-genetics: salvation and damnation**

There was a shadow in front of him. He could not make out its shape, but his instinct was telling him to run away! He desperately tried to move his body, only to find out he was chained to a wall.

«No… » he muttered with disbelief.

This couldn't be true. He was supposed to be in Ash's house!

It had been a hallucination after all! He knew it! There was no way his torment could end!

Breathing heavily, he heard the sound of footsteps, each louder than the one before. A rightful terror moved his insides, breaking him down before it even started.

The shadow finally took a recognizable shape: Janes.

Her sly smile on her hateful face, she walked toward him in a feline manner: gracious, slender and dangerous.

At the sight of his greatest nightmare, Genno struggled out of his chain with more energy than he ever mastered.

In vain.

«Why do you struggle so much Genno? » she questioned. «Haven't I told you it's useless? Don't you realize it'll never end? Don't you know you can't escape? Why do you still try? »

Alone in the darkness, a monster talking to him, Genno saw a glimpse of hope.

«Because I'm not alone. »

Janes's smile faded slightly. For a second, she stopped, effectively speechless. Then, she sighted.

«It seems we have not played enough. No matter, we have all the time in the world. » she finished with a sadistic grin.

Genno closed his eyes as he saw her reached for her tools.

* * *

He could catch the sound of muffled voices. It was… familiar, as if he had heard them countless times before. His eyes progressively let light filter his surrounding until he could make them out.

Where was he? Wasn't he chained to a wall seconds ago? He had never been here before, but it was a comforting place. It gave off the feeling of being friendly, of being like his old self.

That was just a vain wish.

He was lost, he knew it. Nothing could return what he lost. He wasn't able to see reality for what it was. It put a lump in his throat. He was so afraid, afraid of what his deranged mind could do to him, afraid of being insane. Where he thought he was alone, he cried quietly. With each tear, he was trying to cope out with the ugly, hideous truth.

Little did he know, that outburst of emotion was not completely natural. A few feet away, Misty's milotic was using its power to let the teen filter his emotions, to induce the greatest state of mind for a recovery.

When the last of his tears had dried out, Genno felt relieved… and dirty. By giving in, he had admitted deep within himself that he was not sane anymore. Now, he really wanted to clean himself, to wash away that dirtiness.

Staggering on his feet, focusing on a single goal, he did not notice the milotic that was patiently waiting in a corner of Ash's room. Genno walked to the corridor and, in the doorframe, realized he had no knowledge of Ash's house. Was the bathroom on the second floor?

Luckily for him, the door in front of him was half-opened and he could see behind it what appeared to be a mirror. Thinking he had found a hint, he reached for that door and got inside the bathroom.

It was quite a sober bathroom: a mirror over a faucet, a toilet and a shower hidden behind a violet curtain. It was more than Genno was asking for. His greatest desire right now was to splash his face with cold water to get rid of that lingering sleepiness. As he got closer to the faucet, his eyes were naturally moving toward his reflection in the mirror. What he saw was horrifying. It was Ash's face, without a doubt, but he looked so hurt, so deeply lost. The greatest thing about Ash, his constant enthusiasm, was absent from his traits. He was just a disgrace to his friend's body.

Suddenly nauseous, Genno had to grab the borders on the faucet not to fall over.

He felt a much greater urge to clean his soiled soul now.

He could feel it; in the corner of his eyes, there was a crawling shadow, waiting for its time to come and crush him from the inside.

Genno stripped, leaving the clothes on the floor. While he looked away, they took a faint darkgreen color.

He hurried to get in the shower, feeling more than ever this need to wash away the uncleanliness that was sticking to him and his twisted mind.

The water rained on him. He didn't care about whether it was cold or not; he wanted it to flow. With a growing obsession, he scrubbed his bare skin with soap.

It wasn't working. The shadow was coming closer; he heard it in the back of his mind.

«Gennooooo… where are youuuuuu? » a sweet feminine voice asked.

When he caught the echoes of that question, his already fast rhythm went on to the next level.

He had to wash away that uncleanliness!

«I want to play with youuuu… Genno. » she repeated.

Sobs blocking in his throat, Genno scrubbed his skin harder.

«Are you already dressed properly for our game? » she inquired with a slightly perverse tone.

A movement to his sides made him jolt. She was here! The realization made him panic. He desperately wanted to hide!

A tall, slim, shadow was casted on the violet curtains.

Genno was back against a wall, unable to hide, unable to think.

When the curtains were moved aside, he could not hold back a scream.

«NO! » he yelled, hiding his face behind his arms.

«Calm down. »

Genno stopped shaking. It had been a very different voice, a voice that sounded like a melody, one of peace. Slowly, his eyes moved upward until they landed on the creature that had spoken: a slender pokemon shining of its own beauty, a milotic.

«Who are you? » he asked.

«I'm a Milosia. My trainer asked me to look after you. You are troubled. »

As she got closer, enough to be under the rain of the shower, her radiant glow shone down upon Genno.

«You need my help. » she stated.

He was not listening. His whole mind was focused on a single thing; the miracle that had happened. There was no fear that was paralyzing his body, there was no dark shadow lurking from a black hiding place.

There was no voice to trigger his madness.

Stunned, Genno looked at his shaking hands. It… it was… too good to be true.

His eyes full of tear of joy, he was trying to get enough control over his mouth to express his gratitude.

A very comforting expression on her face, she wrapped herself around him in an extremely gentle embrace.

His tears rolling down on his cheeks, he hugged her. His voice shaking under the weight of his erupting emotions, Genno whispered a single word.

«Thanks. »

* * *

«That's… crazy… » Ash muttered.

«In a way, it is. I don't find it that hard to believe though. » Marco replied with an even voice.

He could feel their incredulity and their shock in the air. They were paralyzed, too stunned to voice an objection or a question. Those few words seemed to have taken most of his capacity for speech.

For a moment, he let them digest the revelation. They would probably not make a very good conversation in their current state anyway.

His brain more active than ever, Ash was reviving every single event he had a part in which involved a legendary pokemon. The risks had been… high. Each time involved more danger than the last, each time the power of the legendary pokemon had amazed him, each time had asked for more courage than the last...

He saw what they were able to do. That story… could be true.

Which led to a horrible question.

«…What are they going to do with the remains of Mew's egg? » he asked, shivering as dreadful ideas were crossing his mind.

Next to him, Pikachu was trying to get a grip on himself. They dared steal the remains of Mew's egg!

«I have honestly no idea. » Marco replied. «I have never taught of what I'd do if I could get my hands on it. My goal was to prevent Giovanni from getting it. »

«So we're still in the dark… » Ash simply whispered.

His voice was surprisingly quiet and calm for someone shaking not ten seconds ago. Worried, Marco looked at his son with an unspoken question.

Ash didn't seem to notice, he was giving the impression of carrying an enormous weight on his shoulders. He simply walked away, Alexchu clinging to his fur in his sleep.

No one moved to stop him. They were not sure what to do themselves.

After a short time, Pikachu decided to follow his friend, leaving Misty, Delia and Marco alone.

An awkward silence filled the room.

«Geez… this is going as well as I imagined it would go. It's nice to be back home… » Marco could not help but think as the silence continued to plague the room.

He did not want to disrupt his wife and his son's friend any further, but there was something important to do and it would be best not to delay it.

«Lilia. » he called her.

Her eyes fell on him. How much would he not give to see those beautiful eyes filled with love again? As gorgeous as he remembered her, she suspiciously asked him what he wanted.

«We need to make a phone call. »

Under Misty's and Delia's puzzled looks, Marco stood up to use the phone.

* * *

Ash entered his room. He wanted to talk to Genno, no matter how unreasonable it was. He wanted to apologize. The problem was: Genno was not in his room.

Anxiety surged inside him. In his poor state of mind, his friend should not be left wandering alone!

«Where are you? » he asked.

No one answered; neither Alex who was now sleeping peacefully on Ash's bed nor Pikachu who had followed him.

«Ash… » his pokemon said.

Turning around, Ash looked at his friend.

«What is it, buddy? » he replied with a disheartened voice.

«Won't you tell me what is on your mind? We're friends. You can talk to me…»

The sadness in Pikachu's voice was like salt on a wound. Ash felt another wave of guilt hit him. What kind of moron was he? Every passing moment was just him causing pain to the people surrounding him! Ignoring the tears that were starting to swell up in the corner of his eyes, Ash talked with a much stronger voice.

«It's too much! » he exclaimed.

Pikachu put a paw on his best pal's shoulder.

«I fail at everything I try! I could not help Genno, I could not prevent Team Blast from getting Mew's egg even when all my friends put their lives in danger for it, I'm not even a good trainer!»

Ash was about to continue with his rant when the distinctive sound of sparks cut him. His eyes round in surprise, he felt a powerful current of electricity pass through his body.

It was not painful, not this time. Instead, his body felt lighter and his mood had lightened up.

«You needed a bit of energy. » Pikachu said at his unformulated question.

«Thanks… I guess. » Ash muttered.

Before Ash could add anything, they heard the door of the room open brutally.

«Guys? » they heard a very familiar voice shout.

They both turned around at the same time to witness a dripping Genno in the doorframe, Misty's milotic sliding gracefully behind him.

Their jaw fell to the floor at the same time.

He was stark naked.

«You wouldn't believe what happened! » he continued with overflowing joy.

That extreme happiness was such a shocking contrast with earlier that they stayed silent... and were a bit worried.

«It's gone! Her shadow is gone! » Genno continued with the same joy.

The lack of answer surprised him and his smile disappeared when he noticed their uneasy expression.

«What is it, guys? » he asked, clueless.

Pikachu cleared his throat before declaring.

«You're naked. »

He blinked in surprise. He… kind of… forgot that. The two pikachus witnessed the furious blush that appeared on Genno's cheeks. They had something in common now.

Without a word, he glowed a bright green and shrank down to their sizes. When the light dimmed, he was a pikachu, just like them.

«There! I'm still naked, but at least that won't be embarrassing. » Genno said, trying to hide his uneasiness.

His two friends trying to forget that scene, Genno hesitated to continue. For a moment, nobody dared to speak. Finally, it was Pikachu that put a stop to this awkward situation.

«…so… you were talking about a shadow…? » he asked.

Genno's eyes once more reflected his joy.

«Yes! It's gone! I can't see it anymore! »

Confused, Ash and Pikachu looked at each other. Should they ask him more about that shadow he was talking about or…? Marco's words were ringing to their ears : « You could talk to him and he will sound the same as before… and then he would look at something that is not there. At that moment, he will lose any appearance of sanity and show you the depth of his trauma. » They couldn't decide what to do. They were afraid; they didn't want their friend to have another freak out.

Horribly conscious of himself, Ash tried to make a movement toward Ash.

It was extremely subtle, but he could feel Genno tense. Instantly, Ash stopped, making Genno and Pikachu jump in surprise.

«What is it, Ash? » Genno asked, his voice shaking a little.

While Ash was concentrated on Genno, Pikachu clearly noticed that Misty's milotic had started to glow again. The effect was nearly instantaneous and Genno's shaking stopped.

«You… you look like you're afraid of me. » Ash explained.

He would not swear it, but Ash thought he saw something flash in Genno's eyes. What he was unaware of was that Milosia had intensified her power on Genno once more in an attempt to calm him down.

Genno didn't look good. His ears had fallen on the side of his head,, showing what he was feeling.

«It's… I… I… I can't… » he blabbered, unable to express his thoughts.

«It's okay, you don't have to say it… » Ash replied, a deep sadness grabbing his insides.

«NO! I'm not afraid of you! » Genno vehemently said. «I'm afraid of…of… being touched by you… or Pikachu… »

«Huh? What? » Ash managed to say in his astonishment.

«I… there's no way to explain it… it's just… something she… she… » Genno started.

When Genno stopped talking, Pikachu's eyes widened as a rising feeling of panic assaulted him. His friend was staggering! His paws on his eyes, he was mumbling something impossible to understand. He was already about to go help him when his friend's words came back to him. He didn't want to be touched by them. It terrified him.

Ash probably taught the same since Pikachu saw him flex his muscles only to stop and move backward.

Both were biting their lips as they saw Genno getting increasingly incoherent. What were they supposed to do? What could they do? If they tried to help him, they would only make matters worse!

The answer came in the saving and slender person of Misty's milotic. Wrapping herself delicately around him, she shone her light upon him.

Holding their breath, they witnessed the water type's action and the miracle that occurred before them. Little by little, Genno's shaking faded, replaced by an unshakable peace. His arms now resting on his sides, he shot a look of pure adoration to Milosia.

«Thank you. Thank you so much… » he said, inclining his head in front of her.

«It is a pleasure to help you. » her melodic voice echoed in their minds.

His newfound sanity having returned, Genno looked at them.

«Sorry about that… I should know better than to… » he apologized.

«No! Don't apologize for that! » they both shouted in response.

«I really should… I'm actually conscious when those happen… I just can't control myself… » the morphed teen sheepishly explained.

Unable to find the right words, they didn't have the time to reply. Genno continued on a less joyous note.

«Just… please… never ask me to remember that… If I think about, I know I'll get lost. »

«Don't… we'll never ask you something like that. » Pikachu assured.

«Yeah… I've done enough already… » Ash whispered quietly.

Genno and Milosia were both surprised to see Pikachu smack Ash's head with his tail.

«Will you stop with that? You're a great trainer and the occasional failures you've experienced are not your fault! Anyone could have failed in your position! You're a teenager that had to cope with being turned into a pokemon, thrown into a conflict of epic proportions with a gang of criminals and the anxiety of being a young dad! Give yourself some credit for Mew's sake! »

«But… » Ash weakly protested.

«No «but»! You've done much better than many in your shoes and that's that! »

Seeing the process of thoughts Ash was going through, Pikachu proudly nodded, his arms folded, only to see Genno's hesitation. Why was he looking so weird?

«Ash… » he said quietly. «There's something you should know… and I know it's hard to assimilate. »

Ash shot a careful look at Genno. He didn't like how that sounded.

«What is it? » he asked, regretting it as soon as the words had passed his lips.

«When I was… there, I was put in a glass box to… » Genno started.

When he put a paw in front of his left eye, they all moved closer to him, ready to help him if he was to lose consciousness… or his mind…

Nonetheless, Genno continued with a slightly shaking voice.

«I was in the lab… where they kept every single test subjects they had... and… I've… never… »

He stopped, the words stuck in his throat.

Devoured by the curiosity, Ash pressed him, knowing he was going to regret it bitterly.

«What is it? »

«I… there was no pikachu in there. No male or… female. » he completed, his eyes closed to avoid witnessing what was bound to happen.

Ash froze completely.

«WHAT? » he shouted, waking up Alex in the process.

The now shooting pichu caught everyone's attention… except Ash's, who was trying to reject entirely what he heard. While Pikachu jumped on the bed to comfort the crying baby, Ash stayed where he was, stunned.

That had to be a lie. He had to have seen wrong. She had to be there! Alex's mom couldn't have been elsewhere! She couldn't have escape… if he hadn't seen her, that meant…

NO! It couldn't be!

He had made a promise! He had sworn to his son that he would save his mother! He… he… had made a promise… He couldn't let Alex down…

His tears flowing against his will, Ash was trying to control himself. He was failing miserably.

Again.

Overcame by sadness, he was letting it all out.

«Aaaaash. Come down here please. » His mother called from the first floor.

«Huh? » they collectively exclaimed.

The cheer unexpected part of that call had been enough to get him out of his dreadful train of thoughts.

Mechanically, Ash went downstairs, followed by the others. He was not really thinking, just in a second state of mind. The only thought that was filtrating through it was the curiosity about that new fact to add to the equation.

His mother was waiting in the hallway leading outside. She looked as if she had just opened the door and received an unexpected visit.

That was a pretty accurate look.

With but a few words, she handed him a sheet of paper.

«Our little neighbor, Martin, said a blonde lady asked him to give you that letter. »

Just as stiff as before, Ash took it and took a few minutes to read what was written on it.

Before anyone else could see what was written on it, Ash dashed outside, murderous rage possessing him. His mind contained only one coherent thought: «WHERE IS SHE? ».

Pikachu picked up the letter and gave it to Genno.

«What does it say? »

Seeing his friend's fur stand up straight as he read the words, Pikachu was shaken by a shiver. That was definitely bad news.

«It says: Hello Ashy-boy. » he began, imitating a cheerful and sickening voice.

Pikachu felt the horror hit him.

«I'm written this on the behalf of a good friend of mine. She's less than a meter tall, has yellow fur and red cheeks… oh, and a heart-shaped tail. Maybe you know her? Anyway, she's been very depressed lately. I think she has a broken heart or something. You wouldn't happen to know who this irresponsible boy is, right? I'm a little bit afraid that, if she doesn't see him soon, she might try something irresponsible and… die… I just thought I should tell you. See ya. »

Genno marked a pause, feeling nauseous, then read the last line.

«With all the love in the world, Janes. »


	49. Breaking point

**Poke-genetics: breaking point**

Pikachu turned around suddenly, making them all flinched in surprise.

«What is it, Pikachu? »

«I thought I heard… something… » he replied, his eyebrows arched with suspicion.

After Genno had repeated his words, they tensed even more.

A few minutes passed in silence as they waited for the electric type to elaborate. With a discernable sight of relief, they saw that Pikachu stopped looking at the shadows of the trees around them.

«It's probably nothing. You can continue. »

After another translation, they all seemed to relax, except for Officer Jenny.

«Hum… don't loosen your attention. We are too close to them to be careless. » she said.

Pikachu nodded, fully understanding and keeping his senses as sharp as he could.

The police officer continued to explain the plan to her subordinates. As Pikachu already knew that part of the plan, he left his mind wander. His eyes fell on the clearing they were in. It was certainly crowded. Most of the cities police's forces had answered Jenny's call and were now separated in a few groups that were waiting for their next orders. The Officer Jenny of Viridian City was the one leading the operation and was fulfilling her role with great efficiency. This discussion with her subordinates was mostly to put them into greater disposition for the fight to come.

Pikachu certainly appreciated her competency, but his patience was growing thin. Their plan needed a certain trigger to work and they were not to act until it started.

He could not help but shoot a worried look at his friends. Genno was sitting on a log and he was concentrating on Jenny's word. His ability to understand both humans and pokemon was especially useful, even if they discovered that a side-effect of the transformation allowed the transformed human to understand roughly the pokemon they had turned into. Since they had all been turned into growlithes... they still needed a ditto to understand the other pokemon. Next to him, the milotic that introduced herself as Milosia was graciously resting at his side. Normally, Pikachu would have been extremely happy to see her so close to Genno, but, due to their proximity with Team Blast's new headquarters, she was not to use her power unless he would start screaming otherwise. The subtle shaking of Genno's hands was all the hint that Pikachu needed to know that it was not easy to keep his sanity without her abilities.

Pikachu sighed. He could hardly believe that they had allowed him to come.

When the news of the preparation for an attack against Team Blast's base reached them, Pikachu knew they had to give a hand. However, he had not taken into account that Genno would have wanted to accompany them.

He could easily remember how their conversation went.

«Guys, this is something I can't sit out of. »

«Yes, you can. You're hardly able to think clearly. It isn't time for you to jump into battle! » he had protested.

«Pikachu, this is something I need to see with my own eyes. I fear that if I don't… I… might never fully recover. What will happen is… essential to my sanity. I have to know ! »

When they realized how much he was trembling, they couldn't dare to oppose him anymore. As he sensed their acceptance, Genno confided the real reason he wanted to be there.

They gasped.

Afterward, they understood. They didn't approve, but they understood.

He still thought it wasn't a good idea. His friend was unstable. Who knew how he might react once he was there?

Pikachu bit his lower lip. Things had to be as impossibly complicated as they could be... and they were. On the other side of the clearing, Ash was walking between the officers to contain his impatience. He reminded Pikachu of a wild pokemon in a cage.

The moment he had read Janes's letter, he started acting that way. Pikachu was sure that if he had known the location of Team Blast's headquarters at that time, he would have rushed there without thinking. It had taken all of Pikachu's strength to restrain him long enough for his fury to subdue.

Frankly, if Marco hadn't made that phone call to Jenny and Gregor Dexter, establishing a link with the Kanto residents that wanted to rebel, Pikachu wasn't sure how things would have turned out with Ash.

What he saw inside those usually so familiar eyes weren't normal. He wasn't sure of whom he was worried the most between Ash and Genno.

* * *

«Reporting Sir! » a lower ranked member said as he entered the lab.

Jonathan made a muffled noise that could have been an authorization. He was focusing on his latest experiment, a masterpiece that wouldn't be reproduced in a lifetime. He was completely over such mundane preoccupations. Feeling her hesitation, he turned around, temporarily letting the poke-geneticist he was be tossed aside to make place for the leader of Team Blast. His gaze concentrated on her, he nodded as a sign for her to continue.

Swallowing loudly, she finally managed to make her report.

«Sir, the information sent by our spy has been confirmed as true. They are half a dozen of groups of police officers surrounding us. He said they were waiting for something. »

«Reinforcements? » Jonathan said in an inquisitive manner.

His icy eyes made the poor woman shiver.

«It is currently unknown if this is what they are waiting for. » she replied while trying not to shake too much.

With a sight, Jonathan shrugged it off.

«It matters not. Just send superior numbers and go after them, one group at a time. » he ordered, already turning back to his experiment.

From where she was, she could catch a glimpse of it. That thing…

The voice of her boss made her jump in surprise.

«Oh, but don't forget to leave a suitable amount of members here just in case. » he added. «I wouldn't like it if my new experiment had to be interrupted again. »

The danger in those last words was so blatant she couldn't help but ran away.

«Right away, sir! » she quickly replied while running outside of his lab.

Fascinated by what was under his eyes, he whispered:

«Almost there… »

* * *

It was going smoothly. His mission was a success so far. He could hardly believe how easy it was to impersonate someone else. To be fair, having that person's body at the time was a huge plus.

The mole tried to stop itself from smirking. Everyone was focusing on their incoming attack and no one's face was betraying any satisfaction. They would surely be white if they realized their little plan was going to be destroyed in a few minutes.

The hardest thing had been to find a way to relay the information to his superior, but once it had been done, it was over. He knew for a fact that his allies would come shortly with greater forces and crush this group just like it would crush the others waiting in the woods.

He was just dying to see the look on Sabrina's and Surge's face when they realized they had been betrayed.

The minutes passed in silence.

«…they sure are taking their time… » he thought, starting to get annoyed.

Seriously, what were they waiting for? They had the rebels on a silver plate!

A movement in the bushes caught his attention. It was an extremely short period of time, but he managed to see a little bit of red.

Internally, he smiled. Those fools would get their just deserts.

«A few more seconds now… » he thought with a perverse joy.

However, what he did not take into account was Surge standing up and calling his raichu.

The pokemon materialized in a flash of light that almost blinded him. Unable to believe how foolish the gym leader was, he voiced his protests while rejoicing internally.

«Are you crazy? We're not supposed to do anything that might tip Team Blast about our presence. »

«Oh, don't worry about that, Genno, it's not important. » the lieutenant said with a grin.

Turning to his pokemon, the gym leader ordered it to unleash a thunderbolt attack toward the sky. The lightning bolt became a pillar of light that could be seen miles away.

«WHAT ARE YOU DOING? » the spy shouted once more.

The actions of the gym leader was strange enough to make him worry. What about the plan? They were supposed to stay hidden until a signal he did not know… unless that thunderbolt was a signal!

He did not have the time to continue his reflection. Out of nowhere, a faint, almost invisible, blue light appear at the level of his skin and paralyzed him. In the corner of his left eye, he could see Sabrina's Alakazam glowing with power. With difficulty, he managed to say:

«What… is the… meaning of… this? »

Surge was not the only one who was grinning now. Most of the police officers under his orders were smiling while looking at the immobilized traitor.

«It's simple really. We know who you are… or more accurately, we know who you are not. »

«WHAT? »

Even Sabrina was having difficulty holding back the savage grin of satisfaction that was appearing on her face.

«It's simple. You shouldn't have been sent near a telepath. » she explained.

«You… you can read my mind? » the mole exclaimed in horror.

«Just kidding. » Sabrina replied with a wink. «We received a phone call from Jenny explaining the real Genno was with her. »

A cold bead of sweat rolled down in the middle of his back. He was trembling from the fear and it got worse when Surge continued Sabrina's explanation.

«Your boss had a good idea, but he executed it poorly. He shouldn't have sent more than one spy at a time and most importantly, he should have ordered you to come back as soon as Genno had escaped. The most dangerous tools someone can use are spies. Use them wisely and you've won. Let your enemy use them and you've lost! »

«No… »

«Yes. We've leaked information to you so that Team Blast would play in our hand. Those members that are surrounding us… they're through. » Surge spat out in triumph.

No… he… he hadn't lead his comrade into a trap… he had not…

«Too bad… but my raichu is calling all the other groups which, by the way, are twice as numerous as what we told you. »

Those last words were the hammer that nailed the last of the mole's hopes.

* * *

She was nervous. Her son was out there with his friends, fighting Team Blast in the hope of finally defeating them. Delia as proud of her son, of course, but she was also worried, terribly worried.

On her lap, Alexchu was resting, half-asleep. As soon as she had known what her son had decided, she knew she'd take care of her grandson. Ash's choice was reckless, but she could understand. She just hoped he'd realized what he needed to do.

Oblivious to his human relative's emotion, the pichu's eyes fell down as sleep finally took him away.

For a moment, she stared at the pokemon that was resting peacefully on her.

«He really looks like Ash. » she thought, moved.

However, her fascination was short lived as the sounds of footsteps getting stronger caught her attention.

When it stopped, she noticed Marco, still in that stranger's body, looking at her through the open door. There was a look of concern on his face.

«Lilia, are you alright? »

Quickly, she wiped her eyes once, taking away the small tears that had formed there. Holding a strong posture, she addressed her former… ex… or just husband, they hadn't redefined their relationship yet.

«I am not, Marco. Ash is there, fighting. How could any mother rest at ease knowing her child is in danger? »

With a frown, he stepped into the room.

«Lilia… I know what you're feeling, but… you know Ash will be alright. You've written to me about so many of his adventures… he can go through this one too. » he said, almost close enough to touch her.

Bitterly, Delia replied:

«He did and I know that. The difference is that he's a pokemon now! Sure he may be able to do many extraordinary things now that he couldn't before, but that also means he's doing the battles himself. If there is an attack coming, he's going to take the hit. »

«He's not alone… » Marco reminded her.

«No, but most of his pokemon are still in Oak's lab, injured from their last fights. The only reason he was able to go himself was his healing pokeball. » she countered.

«Injuries wouldn't have stopped him, you know that. »

She let out an equally bitter laugh.

«Sometimes he's so reckless I wonder who he's got it from. » she said, eying Marco.

«Don't look at me like that, Lilia. I'm not the one that took on a trio of criminals with one knife and one pokemon. » he frowned.

She was about to reply once more when she suddenly stopped, her mouth open helplessly. She earned Marco's worried gaze that way… and his interrogations when it turned into a chuckle.

«What is it, Lilia? »

«Oh, I just remembered a period where we used to argue like that daily. » she explained with bright eyes.

His memories flaring up before his eyes, he grinned while looking at Delia in a… playful manner.

«I do remember something like that… especially about a certain Pidgeotto incident. »

«For the last time, it wasn't my fault. Professor Oak's judgment was simply off about it! » Delia loudly protested, earning a «CHU! » from her now awake grandson.

Her attention turning to the pichu, she sighted.

«Marco, you should have gone with them. » Delia whispered as she cuddled Alex. «To protect our son. »

Had her eyes been turned to Marco, she would have noticed him wince at her comment.

«Lilia… I understand how everyone hates what my team has done, but… »

Delia shot him a look full of warning… which he decided to ignore. He had to be truthful to her.

«I created this organization personally, taking the time to look for people that needed it first. »

Her anger rising to the surface, she couldn't hold a sarcastic comment.

«I supposed you went for psychopaths who wanted power. » her eyes shooting daggers.

«No, people that lost hope. » he said plainly.

«What? » she gasped in surprise.

«They were people that were desperate to survive. Of course, I had to take people that weren't the nicest in the books, the notable ones being Janes, Greenwood, but some were just people too poor to live, had lost everything because of Team Rocket or just didn't have anyone in the world. I brought them together under one banner. For the first time, they knew what it was to be part of a group. I tried to rule as fairly as possible, being lenient when I could afford to be. I didn't want slaves, I wanted to have people that were loyal to me just as I was loyal to them. »

Starting to get dizzy, Delia hold her head, feeling the birth of a powerful headache.

«Are you saying you don't want to attack your former subordinates? They're not yours anymore, Marco, wake up. »

A strange smile appeared on Marco's face.

«You'd be surprised. »

* * *

They were nervous. There were whispers in their rank that an important group of police officers were waiting the right moment to attack. The whispers had become a chorus of loud voices when half of their forces had been sent to annihilate them.

In the middle of all that chaos, there were a few captains that were trying to make the members calm down.

«Everybody calm DOWN! » Captain Seriza shouted.

The immense room was filled with a thick silence. It was impressive how much they were used to follow the orders of their superiors, even more when it was the black-haired woman that was talking. Her position was one of the highest in the team and she was respected whereas her direct superior, Janes, was feared as much as she was admired.

The captain's voice echoed once more.

«Mister Avery knows about those police officers outside and sent was he judged to be enough to deal with them. There is nothing to be afraid of. »

«But shouldn't we all go? In our situation, we can't take risks! » someone from the crowd objected.

«He sent roughly twice as many people as there are opponents. » she assured in a calm voice that was denying her own inner turmoil.

«He doesn't care about the team. Marco would have sent every volunteer and he would have certainly not separated groups of friends carelessly like that. He would not have let so many people here just to protect himself either. » she thought heinously.

The more her memories of Marco Blaze were coming back to her, the more she loathed the scientist that had taken his place. He had not done anything to free the members that had been captured when things had gone downhill. She went there secretly, of her own initiative.

Things had taken a turn for the worse. Their only hope was that Marco woke up from that coma he was in.

But even that was just a source of doubts. One group had come back absolutely traumatized when they faced Marco's Charizard in Pallet Town. From then on, rumors were going out of control and Jonathan was harsher than ever.

«Everyone! » she shouted once more. «We shall prepare our defenses in case of a breakthrough from our enemies or an unexpected event. »

At least, that would be enough to keep them occupied and distract them from the fear.

It didn't last long. A rumble of thunder soon shook their feet. It was as if…

«TAKE OUT YOUR POKEMON NOW! »

As most of the members that heard her obeyed, the wall at the other end of the room was blasted away by a humongous pokemon. As tall as the hideout, he was looking ferocious at the puny humans that bothered its trainer.

A storm of fire would have probably assaulted him immediately if it weren't from a small factor.

Thirty Tauros were running through the hole and charging at the criminals. Behind them were a few hundred officers.

* * *

When he had heard the news about his pokemon's injuries, Ash had seemingly become angrier. However, a light had still flashed in his eyes. He didn't ask them to come in the forest because they couldn't run properly in such conditions, but the metallic ground of Team Blast's hideout would be perfect. He knew he could count on them and requested their help.

They all accepted.

Now clinging to one particular Tauros's fur, Ash was waiting for the right moment.

They had heard from spies. They knew where to go. A small trapdoor at the end of the gymnasium-like room led to the underground parts, including the lab and Jonathan's room.

A blast of water missed him by inches and he decided it was time.

He let go of the pokemon and, followed by Pikachu, jumped to the ground.

Behind the two mice pokemon, the Tauros glowed briefly before turning into one of them.

«Don't fall behind Genno! » Ash told him.

Pikachu shot a worried look at his friend. His intensely focused expression was sign of the internal fight he was having within himself. He had honestly told them it was getting increasingly hard to ignore the urge to run to Milosia.

Unfortunately, they couldn't afford to stay behind with Misty. Their best bet was to make sure to stay with him the whole time.

Dodging one Arbok's tail, Pikachu continued to follow Ash through the labyrinth of legs and pokemon in front of them.

They met surprisingly little opposition during their race to the other wall, though considering how much the criminals had on their ends, not concentrating on three pikachus that were not attacking didn't seem like the best battle plan.

With but a few bruises and burns, they reached the trapdoor. Without losing a second, Genno turned human to open it and they jumped in the hole, unnoticed by the members of Team Blast.

* * *

The place was darker than the room the battles were taking place. The light bulbs were placed at irregular interval and created a disturbingly sinister atmosphere. Their senses sharper than those of an human, neither of the three boy had trouble seeing, but Genno was feeling the effect of Milosia's absence stronger in a spooky place like this.

His breathing was heavier and neither of his friends let it go unnoticed. Even Ash seemed much calmer when he asked with concern:

«Are you okay, Genno? »

His body trembling, he nonetheless replied strongly:

«Yeah… I'll be fine. Now, we have to hurry and find my father. He's supposed to be in his lab and we must not let him finish whatever experiment he performing with the remains of Mew's egg.»

They accepted the show of determination from their friend, but the two pikachus exchanged a meaningful look.

They progressed in the semi-darkness, trying to track the man's scent from their souvenirs, with little success.

The first time they stumbled on a door, Genno paused, uncertain. Ash's patience growing thin and his rage returning at the thought of Alex, he urged his friend to open it. Reluctantly, he turned the doorknob, revealing the sober room that Jonathan owned in this place. What they saw made their jaw fell… except for Genno who only had a pensive look in his eyes.

Genno's calculations instantly went up to the next level as one of his theories was confirmed and he identified all the implications.

When they saw the look on his face, Pikachu and Ash felt deeply relieved. This was the inimitable look he had when he was talking about poke-genetics. A part of the old him was back with them.

«Intriguing, isn't it? » a voice made them jolted in surprise. «What that man can do with a few chemical products and a syringe surprises even me. That's something. »

While his two friends turned around at lightning speed, Genno froze in place. This voice… he knew it all too well. It was the worst of his fear, his biggest nightmare and the very source of his insanity.

Janes.

«What's wrong Genno? Don't you want to say hello to an old friend? » she asked with her horribly sweet voice. «Don't you want to… play? » she added with a perverse twist to her usual tone.

Play. No. He didn't. He wouldn't. He didn't want to. He… had to…

The shadows that had disappeared were dancing before his very eyes. He could see them, mocking him. «You thought we were gone, right? Wrong, we'll never disappear. »

His mood worsening as badly as Genno's shaking, Ash was gritting his teeth very hard. Rage filling his every movement, he dashed toward her at frightening speeds.

Pikachu caught the flexion of her muscles and ran as fast as he could.

«ASH, NO! » he shouted.

Genno, hearing the very real screams, turned around in time to see two blurs of yellow moving toward the monster in human form.

As Ash was going to make contact with the hateful woman, Pikachu tackled him on the right. Janes,s eyes showed a bit of disappointment when the motion of her knife only went through air.

«Awwww, and here I thought I could use the same trick on you twice. I guess someone doesn't want me to impale you so easily. » she complained.

She stopped. There was a bit of blood dripping from its end.

Her gaze fell on the two pikachus. The one that used to be Ash Ketchum was injured; a shallow cut on a rib had soaked a bit of his fur in blood.

«Oh well, it's not too bad. At least, it wasn't pointless to stand there taunting you. »

While the woman seemed very pleased, Pikachu was completely panicked. He knew the three of them were no match for her if she called her pokemon out. Even more troubling was her tendency to appear out of nowhere. Used to sensing his enemies approach, he was troubled by her stealth, though psychic types surely helped in that regard.

Ash trying to cool down at his side and Genno standing still with wide eyes, Pikachu knew their only option was to try to outrun her.

«Genno, transform! » he yelled.

Snapping out of his lunatic state, Genno nodded and stared at his friends.

«Tsk, tsk, tsk, it's against the rules to transform if I don't order you. » Janes said while raising a finger.

It was all she needed to say. The teen completely lost all control over his body and his knees gave up. Tears of fear flowing form his eyes, he shot a desperate look at his friends.

Instructed by the experience, they didn't attempt to attack her and just moved in front of Genno, having all the intent to defend their friend with their lives.

At that, Janes just grinned.

«Such a touching friendship. Completely useless, but really nice to see. »

The two of them focused their strength on their cheeks, preparing to attack if she even attempted to get closer.

Seeing the sparks on the red spots, her arrogance skyrocketed, so did their fear.

«I wouldn't do that if I were you. You wouldn't want the effect it could have on my body. »

What did she meant by that?

Looking at the sobbing boy behind the two pikachus, she stated with a joy so foul it couldn't be associated with an emotion as pure as that.

«It could cause a miscarriage. »

None could hear the noise of the sparks anymore. Their blood had turned to ice, their determination to horror.

«Gennoooo…» she called. «Congratulation, I'm pregnant. »

He broke. His breathing deeper than before, his eyes showing more pain than before, his whispers more incoherent than before, his mind slipped and broke into pieces again.

Janes watched with shivers of pleasure as Genno fell unconscious. Paralyzed, Ash and Pikachu were looking at her with shocked expressions. She savored with delight their horror, their disbelief.

«You two look lovely. » she declared. «I supposed you didn't think of what I could have done, didn't you? I suppose that if Genno is here, that means you've met Marco. Surely, he'd described what I did to him. If he said you couldn't imagine what your friend went through, he meant it. »

Once more, she saw the fury in Ash's eyes. It was exactly what she wanted. The anger in the other pikachu's eyes was not half-bad either.

She knew what was coming, but this time, wasn't fast enough.

The two pokemon tackled her, sending her flying.

«WE'LL KILL YOU! » Ash shouted.

His pokemon did not even blink, too taken by his wrath.

Ignoring the waves of pain, she smiled discreetly. The boy was ready. She could harvest the fruit of her labor now.

Or later… when an Iron tail wasn't heading toward her face.

To Ash's frustration, she dodged, rolling on her side, like she did against him the last time. However, it turned into a savage satisfaction when he saw Pikachu dashing toward her, his body surrounded by lightning.

Before he had covered half the distance separating them, Janes threw one knife.

The blade of steel flew through the air.

Pikachu's experience instantly informed him that it was too high to touch him.

And he realized with horror that it was not aimed at him!

Pikachu tuned around and ran like a madpikachu to get faster. The knife was flying toward Genno!

Using the opportunity she had created, she slammed Ash against the wall and maintained him at the level of her face. Madly brilliant, she had put him in an angle that allowed her to keep an eye on Pikachu.

Said pokemon was bleeding. He had not been fast enough to stop the knife in midair. The only thing he had been able to do was take the knife for Genno. His left shoulder was dangerously bleeding.

The pain was clouding his mind. He had to help Ash now! He stood on all four, only to collapse. He was not able to stand and Ash had been caught by Janes!

Against the wall, Ash was pouring every ounce of his power in building up electricity. She would fry from the inside!

Well aware of his intention, she whispered to his ears.

«You shouldn't do that. My friend asked me to find a secluded place for her to rest. You wouldn't be able to find her without me, you know. »

Barely able to restrain himself from shocking her, he struggled to talk, his hatred boiling in his veins.

«Why should I believe you? »

«Because you know me. I want to inflict pain, to torture. It's my whole motivation, the sole reason of my existence. You know that, if it is painful to you, I'm telling the truth. It's always much more painful for people to accept truths than lies. For example, if I said your «mate» had been put in those woods by me, you'd know it'd be the truth, because-I-love-to-torture-you. » she finished while punctuating her last words with a little pinch on his wound.

The pain was nothing compared to his fear now.

«What are you saying? »

«Oh, it's simple really. When I faced you three in battle for the first time, I knew I wanted to break you all. You looked like tasteful preys. However, you had too little at the time. I wanted to take a lot from you, but you had already lost your human body, your human identity to your friend. What could I do then? Simple, give you more, so you'd be even tastier. I then designed a little plan with the help of Jonathan Avery to torture you. »

Each word was making him more terrified. He knew she was going to reveal something important, but he was so afraid to find out what she had done he wanted to shut his eyes close and block all sound from reaching his ears.

Feeling her captives growing fear, Janes took on her most sickening twisted tone.

«DNA samples are extremely interesting tools, don't you think? They can be used against your enemies or used for spying. Didn't Genno notice anything strange about your little fur ball of a son's DNA? »

«WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ALEX? » he screamed as he struggled to get free.

«Oh nothing, really. Just think for a second, okay? » she said. «I've explained it to you. I want to make you suffer. I placed that pikachu in the woods, so you'd have a little pichu to love and I'd have one more way to break you. Jonathan gave that pikachu a little aphrodisiac and my Alakazam teleported her in the woods around the headquarters, where I knew you'd be staying, too distracted by Jonathan's betrayal to run away as far as you could. His orders were to make sure you or Genno were the one to mate with that pikachu. »

Ash felt sick at the implications. Her alakazam had… been there the whole time.

He had to hold back his nausea.

«In the end, it happened even faster than I thought. You are quite the wild one. I suppose it's to be expected at your age. Now, here comes the twist: DNA samples can be used to turn one into a pokemon... even a pikachu, as you are well aware. Question: do you even know if the pikachu you spent a good night with was even a real pikachu? »

The fear was coming back... and a bit of shame too. His instincts had taken over, he had mated with a pikachu, the mother of his son, and he didn't even know her name.

Janes's pleasure was so evident that Ash felt sick again.

«Let's see how innocent you are. What is the most twisted idea I could have had to make you break into pieces? »

Ash was speechless, equally from the lack of ideas than the icy hand of terror that was twisting his insides.

«No ideas? » she asked with the pout of a child. «Why not make you mate with a five year old? Wouldn't that be just sick enough? »

«You didn't… » he whispered in disbelief.

«No. I tried something worse. » she grinned.

Mew, when was the last time she had this much fun with a toy? Oh right, when the unconscious teen on the ground had fallen into her hands.

«Don't you find it curious that I seem to understand your every words? That I replied to your questions? Perhaps you've forgotten that humans can't understand pokemon after so much time spent with your ditto friends. »

No, this was a lie, it couldn't be!

«Aaaaash, the side-effects of the transformation includes understanding of pokemon speech… for the one you transformed into. »

No, this had to be a lie!

«I used a DNA sample on myself to turn into a pikachu. »

NO!

«YOU'RE LYING! »

«No, I'm not Ash. I'm your son's mother. »

The world went blank. There was nothing more than this woman's voice, nothing more than the poison she filled him with.

«When can I see him? I'd like to play with our child. »


	50. Falling

**Poke-genetics: falling**

This had to be a lie, there was no other way. She could not be… no! That was just something that couldn't be. It was too twisted to be possible!

Still in Janes's hands, Ash couldn't hold back his tears.

He had failed his son… he had promised.

He could see Alex's joyous expressions when he looked at him. Would he still keep that vision of his father when he'd be old enough to understand how much he had failed him? Would those pure eyes come to be filled with hatred?

No, that was too horrible to imagine. If that happened, he'd break into pieces. If Alex didn't love him…

«When can I see him? I'd like to play with our child. » Janes's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Play?

She… wanted to play with Alex?

In the corner of his eyes, he could see Genno's unconscious body next to Pikachu, bleeding heavily. Screams of horror echoed into his ears: «NO! I DON'T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE! », images of his friend crying at the thought of what he went through flashed before him.

She was smiling, enjoying his misery, his fear. He could see her million of times despised face so close to him that he knew it. She was absolutely sincere.

The world was no longer white; it was red, bloodily red.

Her. There was nothing else that mattered than her… and his desire to hurt her, to kill her. Building into him was the strongest intent to murder he had ever felt.

His mind went blank.

Janes recognized the wilderness in his eyes and threw him on the ground before it was too late. The pikachu didn't even seem to notice as he unleashed a massive amount of electricity that filled the dark corridor with light.

It was so bright that Pikachu completely lost sight of both Ash and Janes. Blinking furiously, he was trying to regain his sight the fastest he could. He had no idea if that attack had been effective, but he had to see if Ash was okay. He definitely didn't look like his normal self, even when he was angry.

When his vision cleared up, he gasped in shock.

The lightning that Ash had unleashed was being held in place by Janes's Alakazam.

«I should have known he was here somewhere! She couldn't have just appeared here otherwise. » Pikachu thought.

Frustrated, his friend was yelling in rage while trying to overpower the psychic type… without success.

Amazed at the strength of Janes's pokemon, Pikachu was approaching a state of full panic. Why did he have to be injured at a time like that? Struck by the answer, he almost hit his forehead.

His power building up in his cheeks, he prepared to assist his friend.

He didn't have the time.

Panting, Ash stopped his electric attack and had chosen to charge at Janes.

Perfectly calm, she shot a look at her alakazam and said:

«Use Teleport. »

«You won't get away like that! » Pikachu shouted.

The mad grin she had when she turned to look at him was the most disturbing thing he had witnessed yet.

And it widened when, as Ash was getting closer, her psychic type flew toward him and put a paw on his back.

Before either Ash or Pikachu could react, the psychic type had disappeared… leaving Janes alone with Genno and Pikachu.

At the success of the maneuver, Janes chuckled.

«Where have you sent him? » Pikachu asked her.

Her joy still clearly visible, she answered in a mysterious tone.

«Where indeed? »

«YOU…!»

She did not even blink.

«Do you really want to know? » Janes said with a gourmand voice. «If I tell you, will you break down like Ash did minutes ago? Will you show me some delicious pain? »

At that, Pikachu's anger was replaced by fear. What had she done with Ash?

«You'd like to know, wouldn't you? Fine, I'll grant your wish, but only if I can explain it before. You know, to gloat a little never hurts. »

Seeing the pikachu staying immobile, she continued.

«You see, I like to take people's ugliness and shove them in their face. It's a great source of despair when people see their true nature. Ash is a fighter and like all fighter… he has wild untamed bloodthirsty side. »

«That's a lie… » Pikachu muttered.

This was not Ash at all. He was the greatest friend and trainer Pikachu ever had. He had seen trainers that took pleasure in crushing their opponents, in inflicting pain to others' pokemon, and Ash was not one of them.

«Oh… really? » she asked, delighted at the disillusion the pokemon was trying to believe. «Then, how would you qualify his attitude from before? »

Had Pikachu been slapped in the face by Ash himself, he would not have reacted differently.

«He was out for my life and you know it. It worried you, didn't it? That attitude of his. It was like he was not the trainer you knew. Well, considering he lost his human body a few months ago, it is not that surprising. »

«His body doesn't matter! » he protested, suddenly energetic.

«Of course, that's why I attacked his spirit, that's why his mind is little more than that of a beast.»

His energy faded once more, his face drained of blood and his body, of strength.

Pushing her advantage, Janes hammered it down.

«It's such a pity, isn't it? »

Her words sounded compassionate but her expression demented it vehemently. She was savoring every seconds of it.

«The poor boy was deeply affected by the absence of a father figure in his life. Now, when he has a son of his own, he is terrified at the idea of making him live the same things. He wants the best for him, but he's constantly forced to do the opposite. He has to fight and put himself at risk, even if that meant not taking care of our child, just so he can make sure he will grow up in a happy, united family. And now, I, big bad Janes, have destroyed his only hope of truly keeping his words to our son. I've destroyed that dream, I've destroyed some of his friends, and I keep getting away with it. It's not fair. The poor boy can't do anything at all and it builds up inside him: frustration. Unable to protect anyone, unable to defeat his enemies, unable to keep his promises, he just won't be able to cope with it… and let it all go out. »

Her smile was more terrifying than ever. She had saved the best for the last.

«Guess what, little pikachu? I've sent him in a place where he will be able to unleash that anger: Viridian City. »

Pikachu's jaw fell to the floor.

«What? »

Her perverse expression intensified.

«You don't get it, do you? » she mocked. «In his state of mind, he won't even make the difference between me and another human. He won't be able to logically think; I broke him and I made sure it'd turn out like this. »

«He'd never do that! »

«Are you sure? » she asked, a childish persistence now showing beneath that madness.

Pikachu kept silent. Ash would never harm innocents. Never! There were no doubts in his mind.

«Well, I beg to differ, but I suppose you can't be convinced. Anyway, since you seem so faithful, I'll just underline the fact that Viridian City is the place who sent the most police officers after us. If he breaks lose, he might easily do some great damage… even kill bystanders. »

Her voice was a poison, but he stood strong and tried his best to keep it at bay.

Before Janes could add anything else, her alakazam teleported behind her.

He was alone.

«How did it go? Was he just as violent as I predicted? » she inquired sweetly.

Her pokemon nodded slowly and she had to restrain herself from laughing. Instead, a subtle, dangerous, smile appeared on her lips as she stared at Pikachu.

«Excellent. Two downs, one more to go. »

* * *

«We can do this! » Jenny's voice pierced through the echoes of the battles.

She was right, they could. Around her, another Team Blast member had fallen to the ground, defeated by a police officer.

Suddenly, she jolted back. A trail of poisonous liquid flew right past her face, where a criminal's arbok had attempted to get her.

«Keep fighting! We will end this today, once and for all! » she shouted.

She was like a burning lighthouse and her arcanine fiery taking down opponents contributed to that feeling even more. The whole room seemed to revolve around her. She was the most impressive fighter, the most dangerous opponents, and the more she advanced, the more her enemies wanted to take her down.

The few police officers closed to her doubled their efforts and fought even more fiercely. This madness would end today! Those criminals had stepped on their pride as officers, on their beliefs and attacked the people they swore to protect. No one could stop them from getting their revenge!

Another criminal fell to the ground, Jenny's pokemon having outwitted them. She called one of them and gave a very important order.

«Gengar, find the ones in command and strike them down! »

With a nod, the ghost type disappeared in midair.

Satisfied, she focused on the other groups.

Good, they would soon be ready for the second part of the plan.

Relaying another order, she continued to fight. She was the one leading the assault; there were no ways she would let it fail.

* * *

She bit her lips. Things were not looking good.

For every officer they managed to strike down, another fought back with that much more energy. Even worse, there were regularly psychic types moving between the fighters to stop or plainly teleport the ones in peril to safety.

They knew any fallen officer could become a hostage that they would be too happy to take.

She yelled an order to her closest subordinate. The enemies had made a breach in their defense and were progressing at a much faster rate than before.

When she shot a look at the man she had assigned to that position, she realized the man was nowhere to be seen, most probably lying on the ground.

Worried and struck by a presentiment, Captain Seriza observed the positions of her other subordinates. What she saw made her fear for the battle.

None of the lieutenants she had placed around the room were still standing.

She would have been completely appalled by this discovery had it not been for the movement that she caught in the corner of her eyes. They were no members behind her.

«Beedril! »

Instantly, her pokemon jumped out of its pokeball and flew toward whatever was behind her. She only heard a panicked «Gar!» before she could turn around.

Nothing.

But the reaction of her pokemon proved that she had not imagined it.

She didn't have the time to focus on that, she only ordered her pokemon to watch her surrounding carefully.

Concentrating on the battle in front of her, Captain Seriza evaluated the forces still under her command. They were still plenty of fighters in their ranks and the policemen and women battling them were tired from their first fight not long ago.

Team Blast would be the victor.

A predator grin found its way onto her lips. With smart commands, the criminals under her orders could turn this around.

She relayed another order and her eyes fell, by complete accident, on the leader of the assault forces: Officer Jenny.

Panting, she was completely in the middle of the battle and was one of the most dangerous opponents to face, second only to the gym leaders.

However, her presence was so inspiring that the ones next to her were as much of demented opponents as she was. She was the one they had to strike down.

Even more intriguing, her shadow was literally floating over her head. What was that supposed to be?

The captain got her answer when it changed of shaped and turned into a gengar. She instantly realized it was what she had noticed behind her… and got her subordinates.

«That was smart of you, Jenny. » she admitted to herself. «But it will take much more than that.»

For a second, the two women saw each other and they both saw the other one would not let her side lose.

While smiling, certain of her advantage, Seriza silently articulated: «You will be defeated. » From that far, she could not tell, but she swore the female officer was angry.

That emotion, however, disappeared fast. Instead, she seemed surprised by something. Seriza could only try to guess what happened, but when she saw the smile on Jenny's face, the same as the one she had before herself, she knew this was not good.

As prepared for the worst as she was, Captain Seriza could never predicted what happened next. Her arcanine spitting fire toward the ceiling, she shouted one order:

«Retreat! »

The captain was completely unable to hold it back:

«WHAT? »

* * *

Pikachu was feeling his treacherous heart beat too fast in his chest, slowly worsening the problem caused by the wound on his shoulder. His blood was leaving his body. He had to treat that wound sooner than later…

But right now, he couldn't care less.

He had the gaze of a monster on him.

«So, Pikachu, you were lucky in the end. You were the one that I had the least interest at the beginning. I supposed that a simple pokemon would not be as fun as a human... but maybe I was wrong. » she explained with her dark smile.

Pikachu gulped loudly.

«Frankly, until Genno fell into my hand, I had no idea about who you were. I heard the rumors about you and your power like everyone else, but that was not enough to pike my interest, after all, I have powerful pokemon myself. However, there is a detail I found really interesting: you had the chance to evolve.»

The horror fully enveloped every fiber of his being. Speechless, he was looking at Janes with the face of someone knowing to be doomed.

«I wonder, what exactly is the reason you don't want to evolve so badly? You had the chance to for a long time. You faced a few raichus during your travel with your trainer, but you always refused to evolve. Normally, any pokemon in your situation would jump on the opportunity. Not every pikachu has the chance to find a thunderstone, but you… you've had the chance to be offered two of them. »

Even in the middle of all this fear, Pikachu could notice the mistake.

«Just… one. » he whispered, more to himself than for Janes.

She heard him anyway.

«Ohhhh, what was that? » she asked, her vicious smile widening. «Oh, I can't believe I did it again! »

The theatrical manner in which she said it had a little touch of dark pleasure in it. By the expression on her face during the split second before her exclamation, Pikachu knew she was going to do it again: she was going to try to break him.

«I meant to say that later on… like in a minute. »

Her hands plunged in her pocket and picked up one very particular item: a thunderstone.

«Oh look, I've found a thunderstone. They are so expensive. We better use it right away, don't you agree, Alakazam? » she said once more with that mocking tone.

Breathing heavily, Pikachu prepared another thunderbolt.

«You shouldn't do that. » Janes advised. «Genno is right behind you and if Alakazam has to redirect your attack, he might take the hit. You wouldn't want that, would you? »

Pikachu was too desperate to listen.

«I'm stronger than your alakazam! » he yelled.

«With your leg in that state? » she inquired, acting genuinely curious. «That would be impressive. By all means, try it. »

It was that, this sheer intimidation, this malevolent aura of power she was emitting that convinced him. It was pointless to try against her.

Internally, she rejoiced.

«He's already starting to break. I guess being the last one standing takes its toll on you. He will probably put up a little fight when I will get too close with the stone. It's just a pity for him that I already have something else in mind. First, he needs to still have some fire burning inside. »

Nonchalantly playing with the stone, she looked at the pokemon in the eyes.

«Do you wonder why I know so much about you? »

Oh yes he did.

«You don't think I was only playing with Genno, did you? Well, you wouldn't be entirely wrong. From times to times, I asked him questions. At first, he didn't want to answer, but, just like every other, he learned to be talkative. I promised that I would stop hurting him if he answered, which I did… for about five or six seconds. »

The horror was still there, but it was overshadowed by his anger.

«YOU BITCH! »

She snickered.

«That's the strongest word you could throw at me? You do not have a lot of imagination. Then again, I have heard so many of those before that it doesn't bug me anymore… mostly because those that did died. » her tone suddenly lowered, becoming much more threatening.

He did not care, she was a monster and she had to pay!

«Alakazam… » she simply said, seeing the pokemon had no intent to stay still any longer.

It was as if an enormous pressure had been put on his shoulder. His wound helping, his legs gave in and he was pressed against the hard ground.

Janes slowly walked to him, amused by the pokemon's struggle. It was too weak. If he didn't listen to her and attacked, Pikachu might have injured her, but he fell for her trap.

«You probably think I'm just going to put this stone on you and be done with it, right? »

The cry of rage she heard was more than enough of an answer.

«As I said before, you lack imagination. Here is what I am going to do. »

Her voice was nothing more than a weak whisper at this point. It penetrated much further through Pikachu's mental defense that way.

«Alakazam will send you away. Oh, not in Viridian City, like your friend, but close. Let's say… half an hour away… while running fast. It would be no problem for a strong pikachu like you, right? But, oh, you are injured and I don't have anything to heal you with… except… maybe… this. »

She held up the thunderstone just under Pikachu nose, who was carefully eying it.

«It heals a pokemon to evolve, don't you know? It's the same thing as a ditto's transformation. »

It finally sank in.

«No… » he protested weakly, his throat tied up by the horror.

«Oh yes. » Janes confirmed with delight. «I will give you the choice. You will either evolve and have a chance of preventing Ash from causing too much damage, which should be deliciously high at this point, or refuse to evolve and die from your wound. Even if you did not succumb to this little wound out of blood loss, would you forgive yourself for letting your friend commit murder? »

The poison of her voice filled him from the inside.

«I am quite curious as to see what your choice will be. I am sure you will spend a wonderful time making your choice. »

Before he could say anything, she ordered:

«Alakazam… you know where to send him. »

As the psychic type grabbed him, Pikachu felt true despair. This was a nightmare!

«Bye! » Janes ended their conversation with the innocence of a child.

«NO! » Pikachu yelled.

But his plea was cut short by the teleportation.

Last one standing, Janes let her pleasure loose.

What a marvelous moment! She was living for this kind of stuff. Oh, the boundless fear on Genno's face, the wild bloodthirst in Ash's screams, Pikachu's pure despair, all this wonderful suffering all for herself. She couldn't get enough of it. It was so much fun.

Her gaze fell on the motionless teen next to where her pokemon had disappeared.

Her mood brightened even more. She had a feeling that more pleasurable things were about to happen.

* * *

Jonathan passed a hand on his sweaty forehead. The lab had been heated to meet the requirement of the experimentation and it was quite incommoding, but it was worth it, perfectly. No matter how inconvenient, it was nothing compared to that certainty in his heart: he had succeeded! His experiment involving the discarded eggshell of the legendary Mew had been complete succes and its result was just in front of him.

He sighted with ease; he knew. After all these years, he knew. Nothing could break this ecstasy.

He overestimated his happiness.

The door at the back lab opened slowly, making a screeching sound.

Enraged to see his precious moment broken, Jonathan turned around violently, a revolver in his hand.

«Who dares? »

She was there. In the doorframe, her feline grace the same as ever, Janes was waiting, looking mockingly at her boss.

«What are you doing here, Janes? You were supposed to stop any intruder from getting in this place. »

«I did. I stopped the three boys from reaching you. Shouldn't you be thankful? » she replied, an apparent annoyance in her voice.

«For what? » Jonathan shrugged the complaint off. «A subordinate has to obey his superior. I gave you an order, you followed it. »

«Or did I? » she pensively murmured, a finger on her chin.

«What do you mean? »

«Nothing, of course. » she assured.

Seeing her boss steaming in rage, she chose not to push him any further and turned around, about to take her leave.

«Geez, even when you should be rolling in happiness, you find the way to be aggressive and pointlessly angry. It's bothersome. » she finished.

The loud exploding sound that followed took her by surprise... as the cold sensation in her abdomen.

Janes fell to the ground, one hand clutched to the hole made by the fired bullet.

When he saw her fall, Jonathan grinned, satisfied.

«You are no longer a bother, Janes. Be happy. »

Returning to the contemplation of his success, he muttered something like a: «foolish woman». Finally getting the fearsome woman out of his mind, Jonathan did not notice the small glow around the wound, nor her mad smile.


	51. Defeat

**Poke-genetics: defeat**

He attempted to bite the hand that had transported him away from his enemy, but his jaws closed on thin air.

Disoriented, he sniffed the air more strongly to find the odor of that psychic type. It was nowhere near him, but it had been closed seconds ago. This meant… it had teleported again.

He screamed in fury. He was alone! He couldn't take revenge for his pain.

Then, just as he was taking his breath, he perceived something alien somewhere close. The strange scent immediately associated itself with another, one he hated, one that was clearly a threat to his young. His blood boiling, Ash ran in the direction of that strange, disturbing scent.

The scent of humans.

* * *

The mad poke-geneticist was fascinated. It was such a marvelous sight. He knew it was perfect. In all sincerity, he knew this was the last time he would ever feel anything. Such a perfect moment of triumph would never be equaled in his whole life.

Not to mention that killing Janes had been particularly satisfying. That woman had started getting on his nerves as soon as he took over Team Blast. It was too bad that she was the only one powerful and influential enough to give him willingly the control of a powerful organization like Team Blast. He had been surprised when he had seen her on the news for the first time. She was robbing a bank at the time. At first, he had been unimpressed. A robber that took hostages, big deal. There were records of this frequently being done by the big criminal organizations. She had only been incompetent enough to be seen, he had first thought. However, when she revealed her Kadabra, it was as if he had been struck by lightning. She had planned to be seen, she wanted to take those hostages and much more importantly, she had done it all for fun.

She had done it so she could see the sadness on others' faces.

He had never been more deranged by a fact than that. Janes had not done it to gain anything, except some fun. It would not serve her in the long run, it would not help her live, help her reputation, help her raise some kids, it was for herself.

«That's how a life should be lived. » he understood.

When he looked at himself, he realized he had always thought that. He had only denied it. That day, he made his choice. He would act like her; what he would do would be for him and that was all. If something was pleasant, he would do it. If it wasn't, he wouldn't. Of course, there were some practical issues for this as well.

He moved in a remote house where he would bring up his son. First, he would stir in him an unequaled interest for poke-genetics like him. When he felt Genno would be ready, he would let him take part in other experiments, more testing of his passion.

When his experience on his son's ditto proved his greatest theory, he knew it was time to try things on a greater scale.

Luck had truly been on his side that day. As he had sent Genno run some errant in Viridian City, he received the visit of an unexpected visitor: Janes.

Had it not been for him screaming: «I have a deal for you! », she would have immediately seized him and brought him over to Marco Blaze. But the tone he had used and the weirdness of the situation had piked the woman's interest. She listened to his ideas and to his ideals with a curious and strangely dangerous expression. Then, after he had revealed the craziest ideas he had thought of for years, Janes smiled at him and declared she would help him. If he proved to be as interesting as he sounded, she would give him Team Blast on a silver plate.

She had kept her promise; he was the one leading Team Blast.

He stared at his creation, lost in his thoughts. It was a matter of time. There was nothing he could do until then, but watch and appreciate what his genius had created.

There was a strange emptiness in him. He had succeeded, didn't he? That proved he was a master of poke-genetics, that he knew everything there was to know about pokemon's DNA. Was this what happened when you had fulfilled your biggest dream after living only for it?

Completely captivated by his experiment, he did not hear the sound of a moving body behind him, nor did he remark the slightly brighter light of the room.

So the second he felt the cold metallic sensation of something pressing against the back of his head, he paralyzed. That… was impossible… there wasn't anyone that could have passed through Janes earlier and he had just finished her off. The realization hit him. Janes had not acted like her usual self! It was remarkably close to how she acted, but there had been something slightly off about her! Had… she planned this? But how could she have survived that kind of injuries?

A foot kicked him in the middle of his back, throwing him to the ground. With reflexes Jonathan didn't know he possessed, he barely managed to dodge the incoming corner of a table in front of him. His face against the metallic floor, he muttered.

«How… could you be alive? It doesn't make sense! I… just killed you! »

He only heard a snicker from where his old subordinate had stoop up.

No, he was not going to be defeated by Janes so close to seeing the ambition of his life being fulfilled.

He turned around, determined to find something to defeat the hateful woman.

And his jaw fell to the floor, his face showing his shock, a single word passing through his lips.

«What?»

He was staring at himself.

That copy of himself was glaring back, the muscles of his face sometimes twitching, as subjects to contradictory emotions. In the eyes of that Jonathan, there was madness... and an anger deeper than anything he had ever seen.

«It's over. » his copy said.

«Who… are you? » Jonathan asked, bewildered.

As if that was a terrible insult, the other Jonathan gritted his teeth more than before, growling silently.

«I said it's over, Dad! »

In an instant, his mind was washed away by the revelation. It was as if everything had come to light.

«You… transformed to erase your injuries! But… how did you go past Janes? »

A bullet missed him by inches. His eyes wide, Jonathan lost his voice.

«You… will only talk… if I tell you to! » Genno ordered, punctuating his threat with a terrible voice.

The hints of rage in it were enough to keep Jonathan from protesting.

«I came here to stop you. I heard about the eggshell you ordered your henchmen to collect. What have you done with it? »

At the mention of his work, Jonathan recovered his arrogance.

«Don't you have any ideas, son? Didn't you at least make a few hypothesis as to what I could do with the remains of a legendary pokemon's egg? » he questioned mockingly.

«I don't have the time to play games with you. » Genno said, his tone lower and darker than before.

The gun pointed at his face made his smile falters, but not vanish.

«I'm a bit disappointed, Genno. Then again, you know nothing of that artifact. When it was brought to me, I was not sure what I could do with it, after all, it was supposed to be nothing but a dried up eggshell. »

His grin widened.

«You should never believe rumors. The shattered pieces of eggs were still radiating with power. Touching them gave me shivers all over my body. Mew is really something else, isn't it? But what shocked me, and pleased me at the same time, was the blood covering its inner surface. In all those years, it had not evaporated, not been washed away by the rain or the wind. It was as if that blood had incredible properties…. And honestly, it has. »

Jonathan remarked the light of curiosity in his son's eyes. Even after so many speeches about hating him, Genno had not departed from his interest in poke-genetics, his inheritance. Maybe his son wasn't such a lost cause after all. Not letting his face reflect his thoughts, Jonathan continued.

«I analyzed the blood, studied the DNA intact in it and made experiments. »

It was barely perceptible, but he could have sworn Genno had flinched at that word. Good, this could come in handy.

«I poured all my knowledge in that last, perfect, project. I would recreate the perfection of the legendary Mew through the use of poke-genetics… and I succeeded! »

Genno almost let go of his weapon. That… had to be a lie.

«You don't believe me, do you? Perhaps this would convince you. » Jonathan stated.

Without even considering the gun pointed at him, he stood up and went to the back of the laboratory. There, a single screen was monitoring a small dark room.

«This small television records everything happening in the incubator at the back of the lab. »

Curious, Genno walked close enough to get a glimpse of the item recorded by the camera. His throat dried up. There was a black egg in that room!

«You didn't… » he muttered in complete disbelief.

«I did. » Jonathan replied in triumph. «I created another Mew from the DNA I collected. »

A thick silence fell in the room.

Genno was trying to hammer down that fact in his head, but something was stopping him from doing it.

The egg itself.

Deep inside him, a primal instinct was trying to force him to run away from that thing. It was much worse than the time Janes's dragonite had flew toward him while roaring in rage. It was a silent, threatening, pressuring intimidation.

Before his eyes, shadows started to grow, dark reminders of his fragile state of mind.

«No… I mustn't… let my fear… get the best of me… » he thought, a hand pressing against the left side of his face.

«Try it… we know you can't. » a chorus of voices replied, a deeply amused tone to their taunts.

«Milosia… I really need you. Please… help me. » he begged mentally.

The pure image of the water type floated in his head. He could imagine her light shining down on him, raining a calmness that saved him. The shadows shrank slightly, seemingly uneasy with that turn of event.

He barely noticed the satisfied image of his father waiting patiently for him to fall unconscious.

«What is it, Genno? Are you scared? Does this place remind you of something? A few syringes maybe? »

The thoughts renewed his fear and his vision blurred.

«Milosia, Milosia, Milosia, Milosia… » Genno repeated madly.

Jonathan had the disarray of seeing his son recover from that attack to his sanity. More importantly, he could see the anger dancing in his son's eyes… and the threat of the weapon he had was more serious than ever.

«DO YOU?» Genno shouted at him.

The outburst startled him.

«DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID TO ME? DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU ASKED HER TO DO TO ME? DO YOU EVEN THINK I'LL LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS? »

The weapon was shaking in Genno's hands, the teen breathing heavily.

«I will. I control Team Blast. You are not strong enough to go against it. No one can. »

The brutal change of subject could not dissipate his anger, but it made him talk.

«Yes, there is. Does the name Team Kanto ring any bell, Dad? » he asked, his last word sounding like an insult.

The frown on his father's face was extremely satisfying.

«They're an inconvenience, but they will never be strong enough to defeat us. We will just destroy them when we find them. » he shrugged off, not realizing how angry his words sounded.

The grin on Genno's face was doing nothing to lighten his mood.

«You don't understand who they are, don't you? » his son said mysteriously.

«They're just a bunch of fools that want to take part in something they have no idea of! » Jonathan shouted.

Curiously, a light seemed to die inside Genno as he heard his father. «So, it is true. You really don't care about me, not even a bit. Was I ever anything more to you than a simple lab assistant? », he thought. But as that light died, a flame replaced it. «You've chosen your own demise. »

«At least, they are united. They follow their leader unanimously, not like some Team I know. »

«Will you stop it with that nonsense? I CONTROL TEAM BLAST! Marco Blaze used loyalty, I use force... and my method hasn't bitten me in the face like it did with him. Team Blast is mine! » Jonathan claimed.

The surreal calm of his son was as unexpected as disturbing.

«It's over, Jonathan. You are going down. » he said aiming toward the man he once considered a father. «I'll free the last test subjects you have and I'll give you to the police. You will spend the rest of your life in prison. I hope you'll hate it. »

Sweating from the pressure, Jonathan made one last attempt.

«It's too bad your little plan won't work. The test subjects are gone. »

«What? » Genno exclaimed, his face turning white.

«I only had a few left, so I figured I might as well use them to their fullest. The last one to fail me was your very own ditto. He couldn't produce any DNA samples with what I showed it of the egg, but I still forced it to. The result… was messy to say the least. »

Genno was staring blankly at his father. His ditto… was dead? He had killed his ditto? The memories of the pokemon flashed before him, cruel reminder of its suffering. It had been the most unfortunate victim of his Jonathan's mad scheme. He only wanted to help his father when he had caught that ditto.

The second the pokeball had closed and registered the pokemon, it had doomed the ditto.

And it was his fault.

Softly, Genno fell to his knees, his strength leaving his body. His vision was slowly turning green, covered in dark shadows. He let go of the weapon.

A smug look on his face, Jonathan walked over and picked up the gun.

«Good boy, now I have one more test subject. » he declared.

Carefully examining his son, he jumped backward in surprise when the teen laughed.

«What the…? »

It was a lifeless laugh, completely void of any emotion. If anything, it was more of a succession of «Ha» than a proper laugher. Deeply disturbed, Jonathan watched as his ditto of a son's laugher went more and more hysterical.

When it reached its peak, Genno jumped on him.

* * *

The pain was numbing his whole leg now. What she said was true; he would probably die of this wound if he did nothing. A few meters away from him, the stone was lying on the grass, constant torture of his mind.

«I have to stop Ash! »

And his body froze at the thought of touching that thing.

«I have to! It's the only way! »

Images from his past danced in his head. The more painful was the one of his mother. Her voice was still fresh in his mind.

He couldn't…

He had to…

He couldn't! It would be betraying his very self!

He had to! He wouldn't let Ash destroy his humanity because of Janes!

Against the protest of half his soul, Pikachu crawled on the grass. Each movement was a torture at this point. If he wanted to save Ash, he had to get that stone and go to Viridian City!

He poured the remainder of his strength in his lower body and pushed one last time.

Pikachu's body betrayed him. He fell. Unable to move, he stared at the stone, less than a meter away from him.

«NO! This can't be! I have to get that stone and save Ash! »

He used every ounce of strength he could gather and tried to push on his legs, only to fail once more.

«No! I HAVE TO! »

His mind wrapped in frustration, anger and horror, Pikachu yelled. It was the cry of a beast; it echoed in the forest.

«Well, what do we have here? » a cynical voice said from his right. «A little mouse unable to move. Lovely. »

Internally, Pikachu swore more than he ever did.

«A Persian! »

«My, I love when my meals are already prepared. »

Pikachu could only growl in anger. He would not go down like this! Sparkles flew on his cheeks.

He never had a chance to unleash the thunderbolt he was charging. Coming from above, something said:

«And we hate it when someone picks on our friends! »

«Huh? » Pikachu exclaimed.

Before he had the time to wonder, a dragonite fell from the sky, directly on the persian. The impact whipped up so much dust that Pikachu lost sight of the dragon type.

Coughing, he had to wait for the clouds of dirt to fade to see his savior.

He was completely unprepared for the person that talked to him.

«Pikachu, are you alright? »

That voice… he knew who that was… and that didn't sound like a dragonite to him.

«You're… »

«Helen, Stan, and I heard you scream from the sky, are you alright? »

«Sebastian… »

* * *

He staggered, feeling the heavy weight on each of his sides put pressure on his tired muscles.

«Why don't you let go? They're heavy, aren't they? » a voice whispered to his ears.

«Shut up. » he replied, his face white from the concentration.

It was taking every ounce of his mental capacities to keep himself from slipping down into insanity again.

He had to do this. If he could just get there, he would be able to make it end… or he hoped. Marco had repeated this a few times already; it was the key to their victory.

Only a few more meters and he would get a chance to end it all. Then, he could worry about Ash and Pikachu. When he left them to get to his father, he hoped that they had not been knocked down by some Team Blast member's upstairs. No, they were strong, they wouldn't be so easily defeated.

Genno almost tripped and stopped to take his breath.

Still, he could hardly believe how close he had been to disaster. After falling and hitting his head, he had woken up just in time to hear the sounds of footsteps. Hiding behind an almost closed door, he saw Janes walk past him. He still didn't know how he managed to keep his cool and overcome his fear to transform into her.

His biggest fear had just continued her way in the dark corridor and -was it paranoia?- he swore he heard her snicker.

He had met with the man he once considered his father. Jonathan had proven for the last time that he was nothing like a father. He was about to see the price of his mistakes… and pay dearly.

The trapdoor was only a meter away. Here came the delicate part, he had to make sure not to be attacked before he could explain himself.

He let go of both his burdens and, ignoring the creeping shadows approaching him, opened the trapdoor.

* * *

Captain Seriza was trying to catch her breath. It had been five minutes since the police officers had all fled out of the hideout and had disappeared in the wood. They had tried to follow them, but had met a resistance so fierce that she had judged better not to insist.

It could have been foolish, as Janes who had come out from the lower levels seconds ago had commented, but the team was tired. Despite their greater strength, they had faced great losses. Had it not been for Jonathan's order of splitting the team to attack them, they could have won without so many wounded. Once more, Captain Seriza felt her hatred for the scientist grow.

«If only Marco would return… » she thought.

«Captain? » someone asked her.

Startled, the woman turned around quickly.

«Yes? »

«Reporting, ma'am. » a black haired woman said in a formal tone.

«Sarah, isn't it? »

«Yes, ma'am. »

«How are our troops? » Captain Seriza inquired.

«They are resting. Most of them received some sort of injuries during the fights and we are counting the number of soldiers that are unconscious. The strategy performed by the enemies was efficient in the regard that we have not made any prisoners. »

At that, she raised an eyebrow. That was probably a first. A force went into battle and no soldier had been left behind. Truly, Jenny was an opponent to fear.

She had only the time to make that reflection. From the back of the room, the trapdoor leading to the lower levels was shut open.

Dozens of eyes turned around to see who was coming out, most certainly Jonathan.

They were in for a surprise.

He did come out, only he was also carrying a tied up copy of himself and an unconscious man.

They held their breath; that was Marco's body.

«What? », was the only word to pass their lips.

A strange expression on his face, Jonathan started glowing and, under the light, his shape changed.

Struck by comprehension, they stared in disbelief at the teen in front of him. How did he manage to get past them? More importantly, why was he staring at them now?

She was not sure, but Seriza thought she saw Janes grin for a second.

Slowly but surely, the members of Team Blast all got closer, ready to capture him if the need arose. However, they were not prepared for what happened next. His voice thundering with the accumulated anger, Genno shouted at them.

«Are you loyal to Marco Blaze? »

It was as if time had stopped. The criminals had stopped and were looking at Genno with wide eyes.

«ARE YOU? » he yelled, unable to calm down.

A whisper of approval followed his question. Unanimously, they answered.

«We are! »

A subtle hint of joy lightened his trait, closer to the expression a boy his age should have.

«In that case, are you loyal to Jonathan Avery? »

This time, they stayed completely silent. Unease was spreading through their rank faster than wildfire. Frankly, no, they didn't felt loyal to Jonathan Avery. They were following him, because it was an order and because their real boss was unable to lead them. The only thing they truly longed for was his return.

The lack of answers was more than enough to let Genno smile for a second. He even let out a quiet chuckle.

«That's right. None of you feel loyal to him, do you? » he stated, his face showing a passive aggressiveness.

At his feet, his father was trying to free himself or at least to take out the scarf on his face.

Not even according a second of his attention to him, Genno continued.

«After all, you can't possibly be loyal to the both of them. »

The criminals were taken aback. What did he mean?

«Don't you understand? Being loyal to Jonathan Avery would mean disloyalty toward Marco Blaze. » Genno explained coldly.

A heavy pressure fell on the room. Disloyalty toward Marco? They wouldn't accept this.

Jonathan was starting to sweat. He could see very well the effect that his son's words were having on these fools. He had to take off that scarf!

«Why don't we all remember how things were before? Why don't we think about how it was when Marco Blaze was the one in charge? » Genno proposed, just like a story teller.

No one realized how hard he was trying to keep a calm voice, to stop himself from falling into the abyss of his own mind.

«When extraordinary circumstances affected your work, he only told you to work harder, even if that mistake was dangerous. When a mission threatened the safety of the person taking part in it, Marco asked for volunteers and always doubled the numbers to ensure your safety. After a day of hard work, Marco always tried to spend some time with you, to laugh and cry with you. He was the one to make your misery disappear when you were alone and he brought you into this team. You swore your loyalty to him. »

Their gaze became blank as they remembered the starting days of Team Blast. It was a warm, blessed memory. Yes, they swore their eternal loyalty to Marco Blaze and to him only.

«It was not the same after he was mysteriously injured during that meeting with Giovanni, wasn't it? How often have you been punished or threatened for asking about that incident? »

As often as they asked.

«When Jonathan took over, Team Blast was missing something. That's what you all thought. »

«How? » Captain Seriza kept asking herself. «How can that kid know so much about us? How can he know our very thoughts? »

«You were punished for the slightest mistakes, no matter how absurd the reasons. You were treated like expendables pawns. You obeyed in silence, hoping for the return of the one that truly deserves your loyalty… and Jonathan kept abusing that system of trust that had been built.» Genno continued, impermeable to the growing anger that was rising in the ranks of his audience.

Janes was silently keeping her satisfaction for herself. The boy knew his way with words. Perfect, that was what she wanted. She only had to make sure he would not see her or he would break down for sure.

Sarah and Elizabeth were holding hands. It was all true. Every single word was an undeniable truth. They wanted Marco to return!

«Jonathan was just using you. » Genno declared, putting emphasis on each word. «The second he would have evaluated that you didn't have any value, he would have discarded you. I spoke to him face to face, minutes ago. He had accomplished the goal of his life. How long do you think he would have waited to turn you all into pokemon? »

Completely stunned, they froze in place. There were no traces of their fond memories, of their pain, of their feeling of loss, not even of their anger.

After a minute of this reaction, Genno laughed again.

«You are all so naïve. He turned me, his son and assistant, into a ditto and left me in the wild to fend for myself. What are your hopes of escaping a fate like that one? »

He could see their minds work and he could feel the complete trust they had in his words. If Jonathan saw them as useless, they were bound to become pokemon… if they were lucky.

«I told you that being loyal to Jonathan would have been the same as betraying Marco. It was no metaphor, I meant it literally. »

They were thrown out of their silence into a collective indignation.

«WHAT? »

«Yes. It is no coincidence that I know all those things. I received the information from the most reliable source; I was told all those things by Marco Blaze! » Genno claimed.

Captain Seriza was in complete disbelief.

«That… can't be. » she muttered.

«All this time, you were fooled by Jonathan's treachery. Marco was not injured during his meeting with Giovanni; he was betrayed and turned into a pokemon. »

The horror that spread to their face could only be equaled by the anger that was hiding beneath.

At that point, Genno bent over his struggling father. To his surprise, Genno took off the piece of clothing that was preventing him from speaking all this time. No losing time, he shouted:

«What are you waiting for, you fools? Get him now! »

«They won't listen to you now. » his son whispered to him only.

In that single sentence had echoed a death threat.

True to Genno's prediction, none of the members moved and were instead glaring at the poke-geneticist. Losing his temper, Jonathan yelled even louder.

«Don't listen to him, he's lying! He's trying to destroy Team Blast, have you forgotten that? »

At his side, Genno suddenly started laughing. It was not a crazy laugher like before, only one of savage satisfaction.

«Am I lying? REALLY? DOES ANYONE HERE THINK I'M LYING? » Genno shouted.

In a theatrical manner, he stood up, his arms opened wide.

«See for yourself. »

With a deliberately slow movement, his right hand went into his pocket. From it, he took out a single test tube, one filled with white liquid.

Panic was now visible in Jonathan's eyes. He was not…!

Genno poured the content of the test tube on the motionless body of Marco next to him.

Each and every single pair of eyes in the whole room was fixing the wet body. During a nerve-racking second, absolutely nothing happened.

For a second only. The body suddenly jolted, its back arching and spasms running through its arms. The body changed. The face of Marco Blaze was slowly modified, turning into a face recognizable between all: Giovanni.

A deafening growl rose up from the ranks of the members. This man had tricked them and turned their leader into a pokemon. He would not get away with it.

As they approached, Genno leaned and whispered to his father's ears.

«See? This is the result of your superior intellect. All this time you were mocking Marco for believing in trust and loyalty, you were wrong. You might have called him a fool, but this only applies to you. Have you really thought people were just obedient pawns? Guess again. »

He straightened to get away when he stopped… and leaned once more.

«Oh, just so you know, had it not been for what you made me go through, I wouldn't have had the strength of character to transform after being shot. It would have been too painful otherwise. »

His former subordinates reached for him, now close enough to enact their revenge. He would feel their wrath with his body. Some were already readying their fists.

As Genno went back to the lower level, he said, in a clear voice that resonated in Jonathan's head.

«This is the taste of defeat. How do you like it? »

* * *

She was laughing quietly, careful not to disturb her comrades or her tools, depending of her mood.

Janes was trying to keep her hilarity in check, but it was particularly hard.

The threatening Jonathan Avery had been crushed by the son he had always thought was a weakling. How deliciously ironic.

Of course, the fact that she planned it had a little influence on it, but, truly, the boy was a natural. He knew exactly what kind of words swayed people and put them under his control. He may not have been aware of it, but that talent was certainly there. With the burning rage he held toward the man who he once considered his father, he had been able to plan a way to make a whole criminal organization make his bidding.

The thing that was the most fun though was the look on Jonathan's face. His arrogance had been broken so thoroughly she might not have done better. Everything had crumbled around him, just before he could witness his greatest success come to life.

An even sicker smile appeared on her lips. Talking about that egg…

She did not elaborate any further. Just as that thought passed through her mind, she was almost knocked over by an explosion.

Getting back her balance, she turned around to see another one of the walls being destroyed. Only this time, it was not the police at all.

Before a whole surprised team, hundreds of people in green and white were about to charge.


	52. Brave citizens

**Poke-genetics: brave citizens**

She was trying to hide her worries behind her usual smile, but she couldn't quite do it. No matter how much she knew it was useless, Nurse Joy couldn't help but think about the police officers that were probably fighting Team Blast at this very moment. She hoped there wouldn't be too many injuries, but she knew better than to delude herself. There was no way the police could win this war without facing… losses.

She was so lost in those thoughts that she didn't notice the glass doors sliding and letting someone in.

However, it changed soon.

When she stepped into the center, the young girl screamed:

«NURSE JOY! YOU HAVE TO HELP ME! »

Startled, Joy regained her sense of reality and shot a worried look at the girl holding a spearow.

«What happened? » the nurse asked.

She barely managed to hold her tears and her answer was cut by her sobs.

«It… was a… pikachu… it attacked me… so suddenly… my Spiwo… tried to… protect me… I fainted… and when I woke up… Spiwo was… was… »

Nicely, Nurse Joy put a finger on her lips and smiled to appease the poor trainer. With experts hands, she took the flying type and examined it.

It had been shocked by a powerful electric attack.

She would have bitten her lower lips in other circumstances, but the little girl was staring so intensively at her, she couldn't.

This was serious, not life-threatening, but it would require her attention eventually.

With a calm soothing voice, she said:

«Don't worry. Chansey will take good care of your Spiwo. »

«He's going to be okay? » the little girl wondered, genuinely worried.

«Yes, we will do everything needed to heal him. »

Unsure, the girl smiled back nonetheless.

«You should be more careful around wild pokemon, they are dangerous when they feel threatened. » Nurse Joy advised.

«But… I was just taking a walk in the park with Spiwo! We were standing in the middle of the road when it just jumped out of some bushes and attacked us! » she vehemently protested.

The nurse paled. It was in the city? An aggressive electric type was running havoc in the park while the police was away?

This was bad.

Not letting her trouble appeared more than her slightly paler skin, she handed the spearow to her chansey and gave it a few instructions. Then, turning to the kid, she added:

«You should go with Chansey. It is important for wounded pokemon to see their trainer when they wake up, especially young ones. »

Courageously, she swallowed her sadness and nodded.

Nurse Joy followed the little girl with her eyes. She wanted to make sure she would not see what would happen next. If the police was away, that pikachu could cause a lot of trouble. Her responsibility was to heal injured pokemon, but it was also to prevent the injuries in the first place. She had to do this.

The pokemon nurse bent and opened a case under her counter. The few things stored in there would have to be enough.

Forgetting her unease, she grabbed the items and went outside.

* * *

The fight was one-sided. They were tired. Their battle with the police had taken its toll on them and now they were feeling its full effect. Not that it would have mattered anyway, they were completely outnumbered. For every criminal in red, there were ten in green.

Team Kanto was decimating Team Blast.

They had been surprised when they were the most vulnerable: tired from their previous fight and starting to lower their guards.

Now, it was simply a matter of time. Team Blast was doomed.

It was the conclusion that Captain Seriza had come to. They could fight back and delay their defeat, but they could not win. Everywhere her eyes fell on, one of her subordinates was knocked out, injured or worse.

And the most troubling was that, from times to times, she would hear someone say: «YOU! That's impossible! » just before falling to the ground. She attempted to understand, but she did find the answer. She had a lot on her hands.

In the midst of the battles, between pokemon throwing their most powerful attacks in the melee, Captain Seriza finally saw what the fallen members had seen. With the understanding came the anger and she charged at the source of her fury.

* * *

She usually enjoyed battlefields, but this time, it was a bit different. Janes was looking at the persons in green and white surrounding her with a calculating look. She could not break through the wall of their pokemon and she was back against a wall of steel.

Things weren't looking that good.

In front of her, the man that had succeeded in leading her there was showing every ounce of arrogance he could.

«Well, we've been ordered to take extra precautions when going against you, but it seems those were useless. » he commented with a grin.

«Oh, and by whom? » she asked, sounding perfectly innocent.

«You would like to know, right? » he said, his traits exhibiting a strange victory. «It's… »

«No! She doesn't need to know! » a member at his left cut him off.

The remark puzzled her. She had the feeling that there was something extremely important about Team Kanto, but she could not quite put her finger on it. She had heard some people yelled in disbelief when they figured it out, but it was out of her own reach.

«Now, drop every pokeball and weapon you have. You're cornered and we won't hesitate to hurt you if you try anything funny. » the team leader demanded.

Janes suddenly smiled. She had not found the most obscure details, but she had figured them out. They would see her true strength.

«I'm cornered? » she asked.

«You're back against a wall and your pokemon are all in their pokeballs. You can't escape us. It's over. »

«Would you really say that? After all, you could never beat me if you tried. I count a few reasons for that. » she explained smugly.

Faster than they anticipated, she grabbed a pokeball and threw it in front of her.

«Alakazam, teleport me out of here! » she yelled.

With admirable speed, the man she was facing yelled his order and half a dozen moves were sent toward her. While she may have acted fast, her pokemon would be hit by the attacks before she could reach it.

For a fraction of a second, he grinned at the inevitable conclusion.

Then, he saw the same grin on the terrible woman's face.

And the light that came out of the pokeball took the shape of a wobbuffet.

«No… » he barely had the time to articulate.

The psychic type reflected the attacks, sending them back to their creators. Half of his team was knocked out in an instant.

Seeing his gaping mouth, she started laughing. When Janes stopped, it was like her strength was radiating from under her skin. She was serious.

«It's called playing dirty and you clearly do not know how to. I said one thing and you instantly assumed I was telling the truth. It's not hard to lie, you know? Not to mention how useful it is.»

Now imbued with rage, he could barely stop himself from ordering another all-out attack, but her pokemon was still there.

Janes looked at the wall behind her and chuckled. She leaned on it, finding the situation hilarious.

«Being backed against a wall also means no one can attack me from behind… »

He was gritting his teeth so hard it hurt.

«You on the other hand… » she started.

Once more, she moved at a dreadful speed. Her pokeball went through the air and landed just behind on of them. Her dragonite roared as it was released and sent to crush his mistress's enemies.

«… are in for a world of pain. »

The dragon pokemon slammed the man against the ground with incredible violence.

Janes was completely relaxed now. In a creepy contrast with the rest of the room, she was patiently waiting for her pokemon to finish things for her… all behind the safety of her wobbuffet's barrier.

When her dragon type sent the last of them to the abyss of the unconsciousness, she simply straightened and ordered it to come back.

«Well, since those other Team Kanto posers are a bit too occupied to pay attention to me, we should just get going then. » she proposed to her dragonite as she called back in wobbuffet and took her alakazam's pokeball.

Suddenly, she was lifted from the ground.

«What… ? » she muttered.

The sudden pain in her right arm cut the rest of her question short.

Her dragonite had just saved her from a fire blast.

A stream of flame had just missed her torso by inches and only her right arm had been hit. In her pokemon's arms, she looked at the arcanine that was growling at her. The fire type seemed ready to throws another attack at them.

It was not the only one. Janes's dragonite was blowing steam from his nostrils, too eager to make that insolent pay.

Janes's feet touched the ground as her strongest pokemon launched itself toward the arcanine.

The criminal saw her dragon type dive at frightening speed and the fire type brace itself for the impact.

Neither Janes nor her pokemon saw the woman ready for their reaction.

As the dragonite was about to reach his target, he felt a powerful pain erupt in his left wing. Surprised, he missed the arcanine and crashed on the metallic floor. The fire type didn't waste time and jumped on it, trying to finish it off.

However, Janes was not even looking at her struggling pokemon. No, her eyes were fixed on the person that had shot her pokemon through on wing. Unable to hide her disbelief, she muttered a single word.

«Jenny… »

Proud and fiercely determined, the notable police officer was perfectly recognizable under her green and white uniform. Pointing at Janes was her gun, held with a firm grasp and ready to end things once and for all.

Thinking one last time about John, she fired.

The bullet pierced through the space separating them both in an instant, only to end up in the wall.

Janes had plunged when she saw the look on Jenny's face and had dropped her alakzam's pokeball.

Seeing the psychic type, Jenny knew she had lost. With it at her side, Janes would not be defeated by a traditional weapon. She shot a look of despite at the pokeball hanging at her belt. If only that captain hadn't taken out her gengar…

The process of her thoughts going in a parallel way, Janes was grinning with arrogance… and was trying to hide the fact that her right arm was difficult to move.

«Well, well, it seems like you've made up your mind about killing me, officer. It's just too bad you won't succeed. I've faced so many officers in my life that it's not even a challenge. How many of your colleagues do you think died the same way as that man you loved? » she taunted.

At the mention of her acts, Jenny felt a flame burst inside her. It was the strongest feeling of hatred she ever felt. This… monster… she only wanted to bring more pain. She had no excuse, no sad past, no trouble; her very nature was to destroy and enjoy the destruction. Feeding on that dark feeling, her face hidden by her hood, Jenny said in a very low tone:

«You will die. »

«Really? Won't we all someday? » Janes countered with a pout.

And Jenny raised her head.

Janes's grin faded. There was something burning behind those eyes and she did not like it.

Jenny was not consumed by anger like Ash had been; she was simply using it as a source of strength. Her gaze met Janes's and the criminal could feel a threat more certain than any other before.

«You have played with fire for years. » Jenny began. «You should be afraid. »

«Oh, and why is that? »

«The ones that suffered at your hands will make you pay someday. You will be burned at the stake. »

Under Jenny's blazing gaze, Janes could only call back her dragonite and disappeared with her psychic type.

Now staring at a wall, Jenny whispered:

«Someday…»

* * *

He was breathing heavily. Milosia's absence was pressing against his sanity, threatening to let go of his hold over his own body. A hand clinging to s doorknob, Genno was trying to control his mind… without a great success.

His field of vision was blurry and full of crawling shadows.

«You don't want to go near that egg, do you? » they asked, times after times.

«No… but I will. » Genno replied every time.

However, every time, he took a little longer to answer. If it kept going like that, he would be unable to continue.

That egg… it was radiating malice. It was just like being close to Janes. His pokemon instinct was telling him to run away as fast as he could, to put some distance between that monstrosity and him. The best would be a world or two.

His legs were feeling heavy.

It was somehow a good thing. While it was hard to progress, it also meant that he could not easily run if his fear overwhelmed him.

«Come on, Genno! You can do better than that! » he thought.

He took a step further. The sound resonated in the dark corridor, reminding him of his isolation. There was no one with him to help, to support him. He couldn't depend on a friend to get him to safety if everything else failed.

Well, if Team Kanto won… he would actually be safe.

His foot moved forward once more.

His breathing stabilizing, he concentrated his strength on his legs. He would get to that egg no matter what.

Before his eyes, the shadows started fading into nothingness. He had to get to that egg and…

…And what?

He had no idea of how his father had created a thing like that. What was he supposed to do with it? Images of a poke-geneticist flashed before his eyes.

Stan! He had to get that egg to Stan and the others. They would be able to find a solution!

Suddenly, the structure of the hideout was shaken by some sort of explosion.

«What is happening up there? » he asked. «I sure hope it was Team Kanto winning. »

His balance having returned, he took another step forward. He was determined to do this and he would, without fail, reach that lab and get that thing!

One step at a time, Genno advanced toward the lab.

His progression was slow. Every step was making him closer to that egg and he was feeling its power radiating in his guts, screaming at him to turn around and run. Every step was making him more mentally unstable.

But as many shadows danced before him, there were other images that kept him from turning around. Stan, for example, and Ash and Pikachu and Milosia and Helen and Sebastian and Marco and… everyone. He didn't have the right to fail. He did not want to let them all down. If his sanity had to be held for the last time, it would be now!

His eyes fell on a door he knew well.

He was in front of the lab.

His hand shaking, he reached for the doorknob. As soon as his skin made contact with the cold metal, he froze.

All over his skin, covering his whole body… there were shadows, their claws biting his flesh.

«Don't… don't… don't… »

Gritting his teeth to hold the pain at bay, he focused all his strength on his hand. He would not let go now!

When he entered the room, he knew something was wrong. He could not feel a thing. It was as if that pressure had vanished.

Slowly, he walked to the screen his father showed him. There, he snapped.

The incubator was empty.

When men in green and white later entered the lab, they found a trashed room and a sobbing teen.

* * *

«Reporting sir. » a blonde woman with a green uniform said.

«Drop that military talk with me, Mandy. You know it's not appropriate. » her boss ordered.

«Very well, Mr. Dexter. »

He turned around to look at the television screen on which her image had appeared.

«How did things turned out? »

«As well you and Officer Jenny had anticipated. Our losses are minimal and our objectives have been successfully achieved. »

«Perfect. Where is Jenny at this moment? »

«She is tying up the prisoners and organizing their transfers toward the different prisons in Kanto and a few other regions if the need arises. »

«In that case, let her work. I will call her back later. »

«Very well, Mr. Dexter. » his secretary nodded before she ended their conversation.

Alone in his office, Gregor Dexter closed his eyes. It was finally over. The nightmare that was Team Blast would soon be nothing more than a bad memory.

He owed so much to that kid.

The mayor of Viridian City could still see his face, the bright and burning flame of courage that was telling him to fight. He remembered his meeting with a ditto named Genno.

«My friends and I are fighting Team Blast, but, in the end, we won't be able to defeat them by ourselves that's a fact. We need someone to create a force as dangerous as Team Blast. You have to lead them. »

«Who? » he had asked.

«The citizens of Kanto. Gather them in secret, make them warriors and give them a shot at revenge for the kidnapping of their children! »

As struck by lightning, Gregor Dexter stood still, trying to digest the idea.

«That's… »

«Team Blast ordered us to eliminate Team Rocket because it didn't want a rival. We will give them another! »

And they did. In secret, Gregor assembled a few groups of people ready to stand up to Team Blast and sent them to the other cities in Kanto with the order to recruit new soldiers. It had been long, steady and dangerous, but their numbers kept increasing. When the news had been told that Team Blast had lost their hostages, the number of new Team Kanto recruits skyrocketed.

«But why having that explanation of our ideals? Won't that give it away? »

«No, Jonathan Avery won't suspect a thing. He probably won't bother. He doesn't understand what it means to be a parent, but you do… and hundreds of people all over Kanto do. It is time that Kanto takes back its future. »

«What will we call ourselves? » the mayor finally asked, seduced by the idea.

«Team Kanto. The brave citizens of Kanto shall fight under its name. »

* * *

They finally landed on the top of the pokemon center.

They did not lose any time. Sebastian jumped off the dragonite and turned around to Helen. Th poke-geneticist acted fasted too and handed him over the wounded Pikachu.

«Ash… » he weakly said.

«Don't worry, we'll take care of him, Pikachu, but right now, you need to see a good doctor. » the boy replied.

He gulped loudly, the anxiety tightening his throat everytime he looked at the blood soaked bandages.

As Helen got down as well, she said:

«Sebastian, don't shake him up and handle him with caution. He already lost a big quantity of blood and he is weak. »

Sebastian just nodded and went downstairs, leaving Helen alone with the dragonite. The poke-geneticist simply took out a test tube containing white liquid out of a pocket.

Inside Sebastian was yelling for help, but it seemed like the pokemon center was empty.

«Please, anyone! » the kid begged.

«Chansey? » he heard a pokemon ask from his right.

«Thank Mew! Listen, my friend has lost a lot of blood! He needs help! »

With a surreal calm, the nurse pokemon examined the electric type's body. Then, a frown on its face, the chansey took the injured pokemon with it and disappeared inside a room. When Sebastian tried to follow it, it moved its head from right to left.

«But… »

His protest fell in deaf ears as the door was slammed shut and locked.

Standing alone in the hallway, Sebastian fought to hold his tears.

«Please be okay. »

Taking the thunderstone out of his pocket, he rolled it in his hands. If Pikachu had not refused so vehemently to use it, he would have been healed by now…

He tried to convince him that it was dangerous and that they might not get to the pokemon center in time, but it did not influence his friend.

He did not sink in deeper thoughts as a overly excited voice broke the silence.

«What? »

He turned around to see a television screen on the wall showing a reporter that was barely able to calm down.

«Sorry for my attitude, dear viewers, but it's… it's just… OH MEW! I can't believe it! »

Like pretty much everyone else looking at the program, Sebastian urged her to talk.

«Okay okay okay okay, listen well. We have received an unbelievable message from the head of the Viridian City police department, Officer Jenny. With a group of officers and brave citizens trained in secret, she lead an attack against Team Blast… and won! »

Thousands of people gasped simultaneously.

«TEAM BLAST HAS BEEN DEFEATED! »


	53. Thinking

**Poke-genetics: thinking**

A great pillar of light erupted ahead of her.

Surprised, she stopped for a second. This had to be where the pikachu was. She only hoped she would arrive in time to stop it from seriously injuring innocents.

* * *

Why? Why were those pokemon stepping in front of him all the time? Why wasn't he allowed to attack his enemies? They had wronged him, they had to pay!

Panting, he was trying to get enough energy to face the sandslash that was looking at him darkly.

«Step aside! » Ash yelled.

«You won't harm my mistress. » the ground type replied.

His damn «mistress» was looking at him with curiosity. Moving her curly blond hair aside, she was eying him cautiously. It was as if she did not understood why he was trying to attack her.

She was human! She was like that other woman!

She had tried to hurt him; she had sent her pokemon against him.

Samantha crunched her lollipop under her teeth. What was it with that pikachu? It was the most aggressive pokemon she had ever seen or even heard of. Every time she tried to have her sandslash restrain it, it would attack with such ferocity that her pokemon had to step back. Had it not been for his immunity to electric attacks, he would have been agoner.

«Sandslash, try Rollout! »

Her pokemon instantly curled up and started rolling toward the pikachu, not noticing that it had lowered its body in preparation.

As soon as the sandslash had approached, Ash dashed to his right and ran past him, straight toward the human girl. He jumped in the air, ready to unleash a powerful lightning bolt.

Samantha was frozen in shock. Her pokemon was way too far to help her now!

Her sandslash shouted and the pikachu's cheeks were covered with sparks.

Samantha saw a flash of light and closed her eyes.

The pain did not come.

Shocked, she slowly opened her eyes to see that the pokemon was holding his paws against his eyes, looking in pain.

«What? » the teen muttered.

«Quick, go away while he is blinded, I will take care of it from now! » a feminine voice echoed from her left.

Obedient, she called her sandslash back and ran away. She could only hope that whoever that was, she knew what she was doing.

Shooting a glance at the girl, Nurse Joy grabbed another one of the flash grenades she had brought. Her glasses shielded her eyes against the assaulting light and the pokemon had been surprised, but she had a feeling this one was not going to let her just approach her that easily.

The pikachu was on the ground, his paws furiously rubbed against his tearful eyes.

The nurse stayed in her position. She would not be fooled. The pokemon had a keen sense of smell and great ears. If she tried to sneak out behind it now, it would tackle her… if she was lucky of course.

Cautious, Nurse Joy reached for the weapon that was waiting in her briefcase.

Not cautious enough apparently, the pokemon jolted in her direction, recovering from its initial shock and growled at her. Frozen, the nurse observed the electric type, this time making sure not to trigger an attack.

A noble effort, but it was in vain.

The pikachu growled louder and lowered its body in preparation.

Instantly, Nurse Joy turned around and grabbed her hunting firearm, knowing the aggressive pokemon would immediately react. In but a few seconds, she rotated once more to face it, her weapon ready.

She felt a wave of pain erupt in her stomach and her lungs were suddenly emptied of their content. It had been too fast for her. She dropped her gun and fell backward.

Nurse Joy might have contemplated resting on her back for a couple more seconds in other circumstances. Now, she was just frantically trying to get her act together before the inevitable Thundershock aimed at her was released. Her breathing accelerated when she heard a dreadful «Pikaaaaa… » .

With a powerful push, she managed to roll over and dodge the incoming lightning bolt by a hair. As she was about to stand up, the nurse saw a glowing thunder-shaped tail moving toward her face at an alarming speed.

She jumped backward and felt the air caused by the attack brushed her hair.

The pokemon glared ferociously at the human that kept evading his attack. It was his right to avenge his suffering, so why was she not letting him hurt her? It was growing angrier as time passed on. Charging his cheeks at full power, he prepared to unleash a Thunder attack that would…

A gloved hand shoved him on the ground.

«Huh? » he thought, confused by the hit to the head he had just received.

Then, his anger returned and he struggled to break free.

But the hand was firmly maintaining his body to the ground.

«First, always cover the parts of the body that produce electricity with non-conductive material like rubber. Second, maintain the head of bipedal or quadruped pokemon to the ground, so it won't be able to stand up. » a soft voice enumerated calmly.

He tried to yell, but the glove was covering his cheeks and mouth.

«Third, before the pokemon has the chance to break free… » she continued.

He kicked the ground with his rear legs, hoping to escape or at least get the rubber off his cheeks. Ash didn't notice the movement of the nurse's other hand. It went into the front pocket of her apron. With expert mastery, she removed the safety cap and grabbed the syringe of pale green liquid.

«… inject sleep inducing medicine. »

The world faded to black.

* * *

He could hear a rumbling noise.

«Where am I? » was the first coherent thought to pass through his mind.

He could not make out his surrounding from the blur that was obstructing his eyesight.

A bump to his head made him jump forward.

«Ouch! » he couldn't help but exclaimed.

«Sorry about that, Genno. The road is not in perfect shape. » a feminine voice came from his right.

«Huh? »

His vision cleared itself, taking away the last of his drowsiness. From that, he could deduce a few conclusions.

First, he was in a car. Second, Milosia was leaning over him, as radiant as always. Third, Officer Jenny of Viridian City – or so he presumed, as he could never tell them apart – was the one driving.

«Are you feeling better? » she asked, her eyes still focused on the road.

«We found you in a trashed lab and you were crying. We were afraid you might have been injured, but you looked fine. » another voice echoed to his ears.

Of course, it would make sense for Misty to be here if Milosia was here too.

«I… I'm not sure… » his voice was shaking, as if fragile and about to break.

He did not notice, but Jenny and Misty both realized that the milotic's glow had intensified once more.

«Calm down. You are safe here. » the water type said with her soothing voice.

For a moment, the ditto stayed motionless, his gaze fixated on her. There was a mad hope in these eyes as if he was begging his mind to accept it.

But the hope was not strong enough.

«Why were you in that lab? Were you trying to hide from the battles? » the officer questioned.

Why was he in that lab? He could not remember…

His father! There was something about his father down there! What was it?

«I don't kn… »

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes suddenly widening and Milosia's radiance gained in intensity again.

Images flashed before his eyes. He could see his father gloating in front of him, his own hand shakingly holding a gun, a corridor leading to the lab full of shadows.

«Calm down. » Milosia repeated.

Her plea fell in deaf ears. He was surrounded by shadows. They were crawling through the shadows, getting closer and closer…

«We told you not to go near that… it's dangerous…» they murmured.

That what? What did he got close to?

«That… that… egg. »

THAT EGG!

Jenny bit her lips. Genno was obviously shaking, a hand covering his right eye. The other one betrayed an intense fear.

«What is it? » she asked, absolutely certain she would not like the answer.

«We… we are all going to die… » he whispered, like a prophecy.

The officer could not blame Misty for shivering.

«What are you talking about? What did you see in that lab? » she insisted.

«Jonathan Avery wanted to prove to himself his mastery of poke-genetics. He wanted to show that he was the best. He decided that the absolute proof of that would be to… create something… with the Mew's DNA. » Genno explained, curling up on himself.

«WHAT? »

«There was an egg… it wanted to kill me… to kill us all… » he whispered darkly.

The car was suddenly shaken when Milosia jolted backward. The water type eyes' were wide with surprise. She could not heal his mind further than this.

He was entirely sane. This… was the truth.

«It was made with Mew's DNA, you say? »

She took the small nod as a «yes». Frowning, she turned slightly toward the gym leader at her side.

«Misty, can you please take my cellphone and call the seventh number in my list? »

«Surveillance team? » the red-head asked.

«Yes… and please put it on free speak. »

Without another word, Misty executed the commands. After but one ringtone, a voice answered.

«Officer Jenny? » it called.

«Yes. It's me. I suppose you have something to tell me, something important. » she began.

At the silence that followed, they guessed that whoever was on the phone was speechless.

«Ho-how did you know? »

«We've just visited Jonathan Avery's lab. » Jenny simply replied.

Another silence.

«The signature we've initially traced is… moving. »

At that, Genno's head jolted to the front of the car.

«What are you talking about? » he asked, a desperate tone to his voice.

«Who was that? » the voice asked warily.

«Don't worry, it's nothing. Just tell me the direction it's heading. »

«Actually… » it hesitated. «… it's not moving like that. It's teleporting between a few locations. »

Genno's eyes went wide and he fell back, his face expressing horror.

Noticing it, Jenny put the conversation to an end and focused her attention on the unstable teen.

«Are you going to be okay? We can stop if you wish to. » she proposed.

«No… no, we mustn't stop… we don't… have time for this. » Genno struggled to say.

«What do you mean? » both girls turned to him.

«I don't know when… but that egg will hatch! » the teen shouted, prey to a mental breakdown.

Had it not been for that panicked expression, they would have laugh. It was such an obvious statement, such an obvious thing…

Why did it have to sound so dreadful?

«What will happen then? » Misty wondered, unable to even imagine what would become of Kanto if such a thing would be allowed to be born.

«DO I NEED TO SAY IT AGAIN? » he snapped. «IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING FAST, WE'RE DOOMED! »

The red-head jolted backward from the outburst. Trying to calm the beating of her excited heart, she put a hand on her chest and nodded to her milotic.

The peaceful effect of the water type's abilities soothed them once more.

But to no avail for Genno.

Even under the light that Milosia shone on him, his mind was dangerously close to breaking. She suspected he may never really be healed, not the point of being «safe».

An awkward silence installed itself in the vehicle, jumping abruptly between them.

It intensified just as much as Genno's trembling.

It was almost unbearable…

«Hum… who was that on the phone? » Misty asked as what she thought was her most poor attempt at a subtle conversation.

For a second, Jenny glanced at her, as if judging whether or not to talk. Images flashed before her eyes. She remembered a night where she had been a bit too drunk and a bit too sad.

Her hesitation disappeared.

«Please don't talk to the others about that, but that was Viridian City's research team's leader. »

«Why is that a secret? » Misty frowned.

«Because of what comes next. » the police officer replied in a neutral voice. «That person is currently using of one Kanto's most dangerous weapon. »

At the reveal, she gulped. Kanto's… most dangerous weapon?

«After the last plot from Team Rocket, once more involving controlling a legendary pokemon, the mayors of the different cities came to a secret agreement. »

«What agreement? »

«That this couldn't continue. Criminals sought a legendary pokemon, always finding it way before us, and a bunch of passing trainers had to save the day, which I believed you were part of at some point, right? »

Thoughtful, the water type specialist nodded.

«So, they gathered their best scientists and created something they had never attempted before, in fear of its danger: a detection system. »

This seemed to take Genno out of his stupor.

«A… detection system… » he whispered, eyes wide.

«Yes, a system made to detect and trace everything emitting the particular aura of a legendary pokemon. » Jenny said as she completed her explanation.

Now, Misty really felt like she had entered another dimension. The implications of what had been said…

«That's plain mad! » she exclaimed, having the distinct feeling of reality twisting around her. «If that system were to be used by anyone with criminal intentions, we'd be… »

«I did say that it was the most dangerous weapon we had, didn't I? » Jenny cut her off. «And there is but two persons with the knowledge of the passwords needed to started the machine and the other ones required in each step: myself and my second in command. »

This reduced her to silence.

«Among my cousins, I was chosen and the others received falsified information which they are told is true. Both Jerry and I were tested on our loyalty and our mental resistance at many, many, MANY occasions. »

«Even then… » Misty pondered.

This much power in the hands of so few. Wasn't that an extremely dangerous game the leaders of Kanto had chosen?

A soft remark from Genno made her shiver.

«Jerry… was captured… » the ditto said, a weird light hidden behind his gaze.

«Yes. » Jenny confirmed. «And he did not give any information to… _her_… » she pronounced that last word with an obvious hatred.

«Then, what she was tracing… » Misty started.

«…Was the egg that Genno described. It seems that Jonathan Avery really was a master of poke-genetics. He really created something akin to a legendary. »

The police officer sighted. As if they hadn't had enough already with Team Blast alone. Was this conflict ever going to end?

She shook her head, no; this was not the time to complain. It was time to make a plan and fast if they were to believe Genno.

«Okay, we don't have time to lose. We need to devise a plan to stop whatever is in tat egg from seeing the light of the day or, at the very least, stop it from going on a murderous rampage.»

The others nodded, though Genno's face was very pale.

«First, we need to summarize the situation. »

The lack of answer was all she needed to continue.

«Since you are convinced that it will kill us all if it hatches, we can safely assumed that it hasn't.»

At that, Misty frowned.

«The scientist from earlier said that the signal was teleporting between places… »

«Yes, but to use teleport, you need to have visited those places at least once before. However, the locations we were given are from all over Kanto. I doubt it could have travelled so fast if it was just a newborn. My guess is that someone else has taken the egg: Janes. »

At the mention of that name, Genno very distinctively flinched.

«Sorry, Genno. It had to be told. She was the only member we do not have the whereabouts of and, given how close she was to your father, she knew exactly what that egg is. »

Once more, Misty objected to her theory.

«But that wouldn't make sense. You didn't have the slightest idea about that egg until Genno told you and you looked at the records in the lab. »

«Indeed, no records on the creation of a creature with Mew's DNA were filed at all. We only saw some data on the properties of Mew's eggshell and something about elemental type alterations.» Jenny confirmed.

«So, if Genno hadn't known about the egg, we would have been in the dark, right? In that case, why did she let him know? If her plan was to steal it, wouldn't it be better to make sure no one knows about it? »

The fearful whisper behind her made her shiver.

«No… that's exactly what would make the most sense to her. »

«Genno is right. You've heard stories of her and you fought her, Misty, but you don't know in your guts how much of a monster she is. The answer to your question is sitting just behind you.»

The gym leader looked at Genno as if she was seeing him for the first time.

He looked… so afraid. Even if her milotic was doing her best to help him, she could easily notice the shivers that were running through his spine, the small tears forming in the corners of his eyes… and his hardened expression.

«She wanted us to cower in fear, to hide under our blankets, knowing that we were faced with complete annihilation. »

That rendered Misty speechless.

And her silence would have go on if not for the ring tone that echoed in the car.

Without thinking, she grabbed it and replied.

«Hello. »

After a few seconds, she started frowning. After a few minutes, she looked unable to calm down.

«What is it? » Jenny asked, concerned.

«I need to go to Viridian City now! »


	54. Human

**Poke-genetics: human**

Her footsteps echoed with the others' in the blank corridor of the pokemon center. Usually welcoming, the building gave a much sinister feeling today. Perhaps it was just an impression, but, now, she couldn't help but feel that vibe.

The little pokemon staying in her arms was apparently agreeing with her. It kept squirming in her arms and burying its head in her chest, as if scared.

She hoped that they were simply too nervous and were overreacting.

Those hopes shattered when Nurse Joy stopped and showed them the pokemon she had captured earlier.

Delia Ketchum saw her son and could not stop her tears from rolling down her cheeks.

* * *

«This has to be a lie! » she shouted.

Sebastian flinched, but did not back down. He owed it to his friends… even if that meant breaking down that girl's heart.

«Please… tell me… it's a lie… » she pleaded.

The boy saw her eyes wavering. He saw her breath harder, as if the new was too shocking to believe.

«…I can't… it's the truth. » he replied sadly.

It was too much to accept at once.

Misty broke into tears, her sorrow catching up to her.

When Sebastian had related what Pikachu told him, they had all been frozen in stupor. Misty, Brock, Genno and Jenny had listened with growing horror to the fight that had occurred between them and Janes. He had not spared a single detail, feeling that such an act would be the same as betraying Pikachu's trust.

When they were in the sky, trying to reach this place, Sebastian had to keep Pikachu busy enough to stop him from going hysterical. They had talked, of course, but, at one point, Pikachu had explaining everything, except for the most shocking of Janes's revelations.

And Sebastian had been terrified.

This feeling was now shared, but also diverse in its manifestation.

While Jenny was silently accumulating hatred behind her indignation, Brock was trying to digest those revelations and Misty was falling into a desperate state of sadness, Genno was strangely silent. During Sebastian's retelling of the events, the teen had been completely shocked by a detail he could not explain.

He had been there.

His mind was failing to grasp that concept. It made no sense. In Sebastian's version of the story, Genno had been there since the beginning.

That couldn't be!

But in the core of his self, he knew it was the truth. He felt as if his memory had been erased from his mind, like a black curtain was covering this part of his memories. Trying to lift that veil had resulted in a return of the shadows. They kept crawling around, just outside of his field of vision. He could not see them, but he heard their dreadful whispers over and over again.

«We're here… »

Shivering from head to toes, he forced himself to look at Sebastian.

The boy was looking uneasy.

Or course he would. He had heard a little from him and that had been enough to understand he was a sensible person. His eyes were focused on Misty, who was still crying.

As soon as he shot her a look, Genno felt a massive knot of guilt tighten around his throat.

He could have done something. He could have fight, could have transformed, could have RUN AWAY, anything, absolutely anything would have been better than what he did. He fainted. Unable to handle the shock, the memories that had haunted him, he just fell to the ground like a puppet.

His fragile mind failed him and he failed everyone.

His jaw was hurting him now, since he was tightening his mouth so much.

Ash, if Pikachu's and Nurse Joy's testimony were exact, was beyond their reach. He was blinded by anger and was attacking every human in sight, no matter how hostile or friendly they were.

Following a similar train of thought, Misty suddenly stood up.

«Where is he? I have to see him! » she shouted.

It did not take long. Apparently, Nurse Joy had already showed him where Ash was being held. Those words echoed in their minds. He was being held.

They were not alone. Answering her demands, Sabrina had also brought Ash's parents and son to this center. Judging from the desperate look on Delia's and on Marco's face, they had been informed of the situation at hand.

Their son was mad with anger. Literally.

Through the transparent glass, they all saw it: Ash furiously growling at any human he could see.

From times to times, he would lash out at them. Every time, they felt their tears fall harder.

Noticing their presence, Delia turned around to face them and, in an incredibly strong act, managed to forget her sadness for the split second her smile greeted them.

«Oh, hello. », was all her voice would carry before breaking.

Grim but determined, Misty only nodded her assertion. She fully understood the sorrow of her love's mother. She was not sure if her heart could take much more before breaking.

«It's true… » she whispered in despair.

«I am very sorry. », came the soft voice of Nurse Joy. «I understand that he was human before the attacks made by Team Blast, correct? »

Their silence and pain was answer enough by themselves.

«I found him attacking people in the vicinity of the city. I put him to sleep and hoped for his rage to fade, but he was just as aggressive as before. Luckily, the medicine is still in his blood and dulls his sense a little. Unfortunately, none of you may enter this room in consideration of the danger he poses to all humans. I am afraid that… in his condition… he may attack one of you. »

At this last statement, they all turned to her. All of them.

They couldn't have expressed more obviously their disbelief.

A pinch of deep sadness appeared in her chest. The nurse hated this part of her job. No family should be told things like what she had.

«I won't believe it! » Misty stated. «Let me in that room and I'll prove it! »

«Yes! Let us talk to him! » Brock supported.

«He has to come back to his senses. » Both Delia and Marco added.

«No. » Nurse Joy refused, her voice suddenly extremely sharp. «No human shall be allowed in that room until we find a way to calm him down. You would all be in mortal danger shall he see you as his enemies and, the way he is now, he will. »

Stunned by her hardened expression, they could only stare at her.

Until a soft spoken voice rose from their ranks…

«I will do it. I will talk to him. » Genno said.

It was his fault, his weakness that allowed this to happen. They had stayed because he was unable to run, they had been hurt because he hadn't been able to fight, they were lost because he had lost it.

He had to be the one.

«Genno? », came a voice he would never have expected here.

Surprised, he turned around to see Stan and Helen at the end of the hallway.

«Stan? Wh-what are you doing here? » he asked with round eyes.

His question was then drowned into a pair of strong arms that enlaced him. Ignoring the stupefaction of the teen, Stan had run all the way to hug him.

«Wow, I was getting really worried about you. I did not hear news about you in a while. »

He failed to notice the slight shaking of Genno's body.

Internally, he was yelling to his deranged mind to calm down. He was in a pokemon center with a man he had admired since he was young, nowhere else… no matter how painful his body was getting.

Fortunately, the scientist ended that hug and took a good look at Genno's face.

«Are you alright? You look extremely tired. »

At the sincere concern, he could not hold back a snort.

«If it was only that… »

Frowning a bit skeptically, Stan let go of Genno, but did not forget that last remark. There was something off about him and he would find out what.

«Why are you here? Were you injured? »

It seemed that the others finally got out of their stupor. In the middle of all that despair and sadness, seeing the scientist act friendly and happily was surreal.

«Why are you here? » Marco asked, being the first to recover.

Turning to see who had talked, Stan became a bit curious when he didn't recognize the man. Had he participated in the final assault against Team Blast?

«I came here to escort Sebastian to his house in Viridian City. His father's absence was starting to get rather heavy for him, so Helen and I agreed to bring him here. »

«By yourselves? » Genno said, eyes wide.

Since when was Stan anything like a traveler or an adventurer for that matters?

Noticing the incredulous expression Genno was showing, Stan winked.

«Yes, by ourselves, although we cheated a little. Actually, I… »

A loud scream cut him off.

Ash had let out his anger at this ever-growing gathering of humans. They were mocking him! Oh, soon enough, they'd see the extent of his righteous anger.

Startled, Stan examined the pokemon.

«Quite an aggressive specimen. »

Although innocent, his remark caused a visible wince in his audience.

«What? »

Of course, it was _then_ that he realized that this pikachu was one he already met before.

«That's… Ash? » he muttered, stunned.

A few nods were the only answer he got out of them.

«What happened? »

«_SHE_ happened… » Genno replied bitterly.

For a second, he did nothing, but quickly, he closed his eyes in anger. Doing something so despicable to someone so young… that woman had to get her just dessert.

«How long has he been like that? »

Nurse Joy was the one to reply.

«A few hours at most. »

Suddenly pensive, Stan scratched his chin.

«I wonder if… »

Instantly, they all leaned closer to him.

Instead of answering, he turned to Helen who was just as pensive as him.

«Are you thinking what I think you are? » he asked, not realizing his audience was about to explode and rip him to shred.

Helen nodded and gave a more detailed explanation of his thought.

«You are thinking about our theory of «Psyche differentiation and alteration», right? »

«I am. » Stan then turned to Ash's family and friends and explained his thought. «You see, we were worried when we heard of the DNA samples. If a human was to be turned into a pokemon, what would remain of his mental capacities, of his memories? Fortunately, just like a ditto remembers it is a ditto after it morphs, anyone transformed with these samples keeps his intellect intact. However, we also noticed that the pokemon's instincts can influence a ditto's action. »

The suddenly scientific conversation instantly captivated Genno.

«I noticed that. It is extremely useful when you consider that flying types know how to fly through instinct rather than intellect. »

Somewhat playfully, Stan gave Genno a little pat in the back.

«Yes, this is exactly what this is about. We were worried that aggressive species could create aggressive people, regardless of a person's original personality. »

If possible, they were going up a step in the scale of surprise.

«You mean… »

«Yes, I think that this is less the results of him going mad than his self-preservation instinct or perhaps his bottled up emotions acting up. Electric types like pikachus are well known for their enormous energy. »

Some light had returned to their eyes.

«In other words, I think that rather than talking some sense to him, you'll have to beat it into him. If he can satisfy this thirst for blood, he'll recover his usual mental state. »

A frozen silence accompanied those words. They… had to fight Ash.

They blinked, unable to process the idea. They stayed right where they were, as still as statue... until one of them spoke.

«I'll do it! » Genno claimed.

Before they could even protest, another voice interrupted them.

«No, I will. »

From the second he had heard it, he knew who had spoken and he also knew that he was the only one to have understood that.

«Pikachu… »

Pale, a bandage on one leg, grunting slightly with every step, the electric type had looked better. Behind him was the chansey that had healed him. Against all logic, the nursing pokemon had let its patient go way too soon.

However, that impression only lasted until they saw Pikachu's eyes. They reflected an unmovable will, a determination like no others.

«You're in no shape to do that! » his friend protested.

«She's given me painkillers, I'll be alright. » the pokemon assured with a shaking smile.

«No you won't! Have you even looked in a mirror? »

«I've been in worst shape before… »

«When? When you were on the verge of death? » Genno shouted ragingly.

«Genno… I must be the one to do this. It's my responsibility as his pokemon to protect him. I failed that duty and I must correct that mistake. »

As much as he knew that his protests were reasonable, as much as he knew Pikachu was in a bad state, Genno could not bring himself to stop his friend. There was just something that kept hindering his voice, something that told him that if he wanted Ash back, it had to be Pikachu.

Without even explaining it to the others, he lifted his friend and asked for Nurse Joy to open the door.

Before an argument could break out, he said a simple sentence that effectively paralyzed them.

«Do you want Ash back or not? »

His voice had been very soft, but it had been perfectly audible and none could pretend to ignore it. Their sadness tying their throat, they let him take the key and put Pikachu in the room.

* * *

It was worse than he thought. When he had last seen him, Ash was seething with anger and trying to attack Janes. Now… he was looking sick, enraged and was caged.

This sight was almost enough to make him give up.

«Ash… »

«Out… get me out! » he immediately ordered, seeing a member of his own specie.

«Do… don't you recognize me? »

«GET ME OUT! » he shouted, fighting to move the unmovable cage.

Seeing this pitiful spectacle, Pikachu felt his determination flicker like a candle. Did he really have what it takes to bring Ash back?

«Back… I'll get them back… that… human… it's all that… human's fault… all humans' fault. »

Hearing this, Pikachu shook his head. Why was he doubting himself now? Since when did he have that right? His trainer, his best friend, his… family… needed him now!

With a powerful jump, he reached for the cage and, with a single swipe of his tail, he managed to open the cage.

Not losing time, Ash dashed to the other side of the room and collided with the glass in front of him. Ignoring the stunned pain of his family and friends, he tried to break open the glass.

It was between two fits of rage that he heard Pikachu's voice.

«It's useless. You will never reach them. »

He turned around in a fit of rage and stared darkly at him. A low growl accompanied his glare.

Taken aback, Pikachu initially took a step backward.

«Ash…? »

He only saw a blur.

Ash tackled him to the ground. His lungs emptied themselves of all air and he was left lying on his back.

«Open… open it… » he heard a raging seething pant.

Pikachu felt his throat dry up at the tone. It was revealing a blood lust stronger than he had ever witnessed. In a shock, he realized that Janes had not been lying. «Ash is a fighter and like all fighter… he has a wild untamed bloodthirsty side. »

He'd be a blind delusional fool not to abide by her description right now.

There were no notions of friends left in Ash's mind, only foes that needed to be destroyed.

Pikachu rolled to his left, ignoring the sudden pain in his wounded leg. It was a chance he did, as a silver-looking tail hit the floor he was resting on just a second ago.

«OPEN IT! » Ash shouted.

«NOT UNTIL YOU CALM DOWN! »

Enraged by the response, Ash lunged at him again.

And hit him, making Pikachu fall to the floor once more.

His body was painful. He had bluffed in front of Genno. He was in no shape to fight.

«Get them back… I'll… get them back… »

Ash's threatening whispers echoed in his ears. He knew he was at fault in this, but… he was also deeply disappointed. When Janes had explained her plan to him, he had genuinely thought that Ash would not react in the way she hoped. He had held that conviction dear. He had doubted it, to the point of willingly do the one thing he swore never to, but deep down, Pikachu had put his faith in Ash.

«Those humans… they'll pay… »

Something inside him snapped. He had fought alongside everyone else a criminal team that threatened his native region, his friend and who he considered his family, faced a monster in human form, only to see two of his friends, one of which the greatest he ever had, break down before his very eyes, suffered an injury that was being a pain in the neck, almost got eaten, got operated on and was currently facing his trainer in battle.

This was a bad day.

It was as if a flame was lit up in his chest, a flame that was consuming him inside-out.

Okay, he was a cool-headed pokemon and he was trying to be a mediator most of the time. He was the one that stepped in before fights erupted between Ash's pokemon, he was the one that tried to calm down spirits. Heck, he had done it for a while with both Ash and Genno, trying to act as an older figure they could rely on. He had listened to Ash, saw him face his insecurities and helped him raise his son, hiding the dart of jealousy that was eating him. He had wanted to be a dad for a certain time now, but, out of loyalty and friendship for Ash, he had given up on it. He was the pokemon that Ash could always, without question, rely on, no matter how big of a burden that could be.

But now… he was being attacked by Ash, by his trainer, by his greatest friend, by the one he considered his only family?

Ash heard a disgruntled grunt as Pikachu rose to his feet. Seeing his fellow pokemon conscious, he lowered in center of gravity, ready for another attack.

«Let me out… or else… »

Pikachu's head jolted upward and his eyes met Ash's.

Had he not been blinded by rage, he would have cowered in fear.

His self-preservation instinct muzzled by his hatred, Ash propelled himself forward, only for him to hit the hard ground of the room. The mad pokemon shook his head in confusion, had he missed his target? A quick shot at his surroundings allowed him to see that Pikachu was nowhere near him.

Then, his ears contradicted him. He was here, above.

He looked up to see Pikachu spinning like a wheel in the air, his tail glowing an ominous white.

He jumped, choosing to meet his rival head on.

Their attacks clashed and, for a split second, Ash was sure he had effectively countered his opponent.

He then felt a powerful weight drag him down toward the ground.

Under the completely stunned looks of half a dozen spectators, Pikachu's Iron tail slammed Ash's into the metallic floor. The tiles did not resist, not even for a second, and the impact filled the room with dust.

When the room cleaned up, they could witness Pikachu holding Ash firmly against the ground.

Said pokemon was struggling to get free, but he was absolutely unable to escape. Plus, his tail was now hurting him, quite a bit to be honest. As much rage it awakened in him, he was not able to free himself.

«LET GO OF ME! » he yelled, trying to bite his rival.

He felt a much stronger pressure now and, for the first time since he got into that center, he actually felt threatened.

«Listen up and listen well, Ash Ketchum. » Pikachu hissed between his teeth. «I may be your pokemon and your friend, but I'm not so much of a nice guy that I won't fight back if you attack me. »

«I'll get them back… YOU CAN'T STOP ME! » Ash shouted as he finally broke free.

He dashed for the other end of the room, intending to blow that door open if he had to.

He stopped dead in his track when Pikachu caught up to him and placed himself in front of the door. Speechless, Ash froze.

«I may be injured, Ash, but you are nothing but an amateur. »

In another growl, Ash prepared himself for a fight.

«Out… of my way… I have… to get back at them! »

His statement seemed to infuriate his opponent.

«GET BACK AT WHO? » he yelled in return.

«THE ONES THAT HURT ME! » Ash tried to run around him.

He was sent flying by a Quick attack.

«WHO? WHO HURT YOU? »

Standing up immediately, Ash started fighting again.

«THAT WOMAN! HUMANS! THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR TRYING TO HURT THEM! »

«JANES WAS THE ONE TO HURT YOU! YOU'RE JUST TAKING OUT YOUR ANGER ON THE FIRST PERSON YOU CAN FIND! » Pikachu gnarled as he countered another assault.

«THEY'RE ALL THE SAMES! ALL THOSE HUMANS IN RED AND BLACK! ALL HUMANS! » Ash shouted back as he tried to overpower Pikachu. «HUMANS WANTED TO DESTROY MY FAMILY! »

«YOU'RE HUMAN! AND SO IS YOUR FAMILY! »

«What? » Ash said, frozen in shock.

Pikachu shoved him against a wall and looked at him in the eyes.

«You're Ash Ketchum! You were born in Pallet Town; your parents are Delia Ketchum and Marco Blaze! You dream of becoming a pokemon master and you traveled all around the world with me to accomplish that goal! »

«I… was human…? » he whispered, unable to grasp that fact.

«Just who were you trying to protect in going on that rampage, huh? » Pikachu growled at him.

«My… family… »

Pikachu's eyes flared up.

«THEY'RE THE ONES YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO ATTACK! »

Blinking in stupefaction, his eyes went to the humans standing behind the glass separating them. Strange feelings were invading his minds as he contemplated their faces.

«Protect? PROTECT? Do you see the horror on their face? You have made them worry more than they ever had before and your excuse is that you wanted to PROTECT them? »

Images were flashing before Ash's eyes, images of his past. It was as if he was suddenly waking up from a bad dream, where he finally lost that illusion of reality he had...

«P-Pikachu? » Ash said in a hesitant voice, abstract of all trace of anger.

Sighting of relief, he let go of him.

His friend's body fell with a «thud» as he hit the ground unceremoniously. Frankly, Pikachu had better thing to do than worry about Ash's comfort for now. Fainting was high on his priority list, but he wanted to hammer a point before that.

«Ash, you really are the most obnoxious, oblivious and dense of all humans I've ever met… »

As Pikachu fell unconscious and Ash quickly tried to help him, he was lifted up from the ground by a pair of human arms.

«Huh? »

«Oh, Ash, we were so worried about you! » Delia whispered between her tears.

As Ash was surrounded by his friend and his family - in pretty much all possible direction, as Alex had jumped on his head and had started munching him in happiness-, the teen turned pokemon never felt more human.


	55. Curiosity

**Poke-genetics: curiosity**

«I'M SORRY! » Ash apologized for what seemed the hundredth time that day.

«Ash, this started getting old an hour ago… » Pikachu sighted.

«But… I went on a stupid rampage and tried to hurt everyone! I even attacked you! » he protested.

«We already discussed this, didn't we? »

«Yeah, but… »

«Ash! Stop it. I've already forgiven you a few hours ago ! You went on and apologized to me, to your parents, to Alexchu, to Misty and Brock, to Genno, to the few pokemon you actually injured, to their trainers, to Nurse Joy for being a pain to deal with, to Officer Jenny for breaking the law, to a few random people walking in the pokemon center, even to Stan and Helen even though they were completely out of everything that happened. Seriously, who will be next? Now, I know I wanted you to apologize after what you had done, but there are limits! » Pikachu ranted with a seriously annoyed voice.

Ash looked down. He had apologized, but he felt as if that was not enough, as if that would never be enough. He had actually snapped and attacked innocent people! Deep down, he knew that if there was to be at least one person to never forgive, and Mew knew he'd deserve it, it would be himself.

Those thoughts were cut off when Pikachu, realizing he was being ignored, had grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to lock their gaze into one another.

«Ash! Enough of that! We both know who the true culprit behind those events is! It was Janes! She is the one that pushed you over the edge! She is a monster that takes pleasure in seeing people go mad from the suffering she inflicts on them! » he almost yelled at his trainer.

Sadly, Ash didn't seem to share his point of view.

«No… she did everything in her power to anger me, but, ultimately, I was the one that acted on that anger. It's… it's my fault! »

From this close, his best friend had no trouble seeing how badly he was trembling or how much sadness his eyes showed.

«Ash! » Pikachu called with disbelief.

«I'm… I'm scared. She brought out the worst in me! It's like looking in a mirror to find out that there is nothing but a dark beast staring back at you! And… for a few hours, that's exactly what there was! A foul beast that sought to destroy anything in its path, even the ones that it swore to protect at any cost… »

One by one, Ash's tears fell to the ground as he was finally letting go on the control he had held himself under ever since he snapped out of his rampage. He had been afraid, terribly afraid of letting that dark side of him escape all control again, but now that he was alone with his most trusted companion, he could no longer pretend.

Ash feared what had become of him when Janes had told him the truth.

And how he hated that woman, how he hated her for everything she had done, for telling him the one truth he would have preferred never hearing.

She was Alex's mother. She was the pikachu he had met in the woods. She understood him while being human, a side-effect of the transformation confirmed by Stan and the others. There was no denying it. This was exactly what her twisted mind could come up with.

His crying intensified, not out of sadness, but of shame.

He had failed his son. He had failed to honor the very first promise he ever made to Alex. His son would never meet his mother; he had to make sure of it. He had to voluntarily break that promise.

And it was killing him. He had no worth as a father. What he feared from the second he heard Genno tell him had finally happened.

«I'm sorry Alex, I'm so sorry… »

He broke down into a deep silence, only cut by a few sobs, until Pikachu finally snapped.

«Ash! Get a grip on yourself! » he said as he grabbed him by the shoulders.

«But… can't you see? » Ash's eyes locked into Pikachu's. «I'm not fit to be his father! I turned into a monster! »

«You did it out of your love for him! »

At this, Ash froze, overwhelmed by too many contradicting feelings. His face was showing nothing more than a blank confusion.

«Ash… » Pikachu began with a soft voice. «Everyone has something dark deep inside, something ugly that no one wants to reveal. You have the right to be imperfect too. No one suddenly loses all their defects the second they get some responsibilities. What will matter is what you will choose – and I mean «CHOOSE», not «be pushed into that choice » - to show the world and your son. »

These seemed to have an effect on Ash, as his eyes brightened slightly, just a little.

«It's the same for me, you know? » Pikachu continued. «I have my own weaknesses. When I was alone with Janes, she tried to break me too, or rather; she wanted me to break myself. »

«Huh? » Ash exclaimed with a confused voice.

«Ash, you know that I always refused to evolve. That's what she wanted me to do. I was injured at the time and if Sebastian hadn't found me, I might have died of blood loss in the woods. There was a way I could have survived though. »

His tale had caught his full attention… and caused him to feel even worse about himself. So horrified by his own actions, he had forgotten about what his best pal might have gone through.

«She gave me a thunderstone. »

«What? »

«She offered me this choice: evolve and save you or die and let you rampage as you please. »

Ash was left speechless.

«I was about to get to that stone when Sebastian, Helen and Stan found me lying in the woods. They allowed me to save you without evolving, but I was ready to do it otherwise. »

«Pikachu… » he whispered, his eyes watering with emotion.

«I never told you why I didn't want to evolve, did I?»

However, he was spared from replying to his pal, since another one entered the room.

«Oh, hi Genno. » he greeted a bit weakly. «Look… I wanted to tell you that I'm sor…»

He was cut off when his friend whispered, his eyes gazing at the floor:

«I'm sorry. »

Pikachu had the satisfaction of seeing Ash gasped and stay silent.

«It's my fault! » Genno continued, failing to notice Pikachu's groan of exasperation. «I… I lost control when we faced her, even if I said that I was going to be fine, even if I insisted on coming, I became a burden and you were forced to face… her… »

Ash took a few steps forward.

«No… no, it's not your fault! »

«I… lost consciousness! I don't even remember what happened! My mind tells me that we didn't enter those underground corridors together! It's like it's trying to stop me from remembering! » the poor teen protested while holding his head, his tears falling to the floor.

His throat seemed to tighten as his next words struggle to pass through his lips.

«W…what happened back then? Why does my mind shut down every time I try to remember?»

Stunned, both his friends looked at each other in an uncomfortable silence. He… he had forgotten?

What were they supposed to do?

After a few minutes of an increasingly thicker silence, Pikachu spoke out.

«She said… »

He bit his lips so hard that they started to bleed.

«Genno. » He called his friend's name with an extreme serious. «I want you to breathe slowly and to take it easy. She revealed something extremely troubling to us… »

Listening to his own advice, Pikachu took a deep breath before finally revealing what Genno had unconsciously repressed.

«Janes said that she was pregnant and congratulated you. »

They stared at him with fear. He had not reacted when he was told the truth. He was as still as a statue, frozen by the words spoken to him, as if at peace.

Truly, it was a frightening sight.

Her…

Making him drink something.

Her…

Cutting away his clothes.

Her…

Whispering to his ears.

HER!

Breaking his mind.

Again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

He was not frozen from the shock. He simply had no control over his own body; it was covered in shadows, crawling on his skins, creeping slowly toward his head, reaching for his face.

With difficulty, he moved a single hand and used it to hold his forehead.

«I… I… remember… » he muttered, almost too quietly to be heard.

It started with a little twitch on his right arm, too small to be noticeable. Then, it was another twitch, this time on the left cheek. Afterward, it was two twitches, on both legs. Two more twitches… three more… four more…

In a matter of second, he had lost all illusion of peace.

«I remember! I remember! I remember! » Genno repeated, with his voice more high pitch every time. « I remember! I remember! I REMEMBER! »

«Genno? » a completely incredulous and unexpected voice interrupted the screeches.

Normally, it wouldn't be enough for him to stop, but, in some sort of stroke of luck, the visitor had been followed by Milosia.

The soothing presence of the water type allowed Genno to register the entrance of the newcomer. There, he just stared in shock as the man grabbed him by the shoulders.

«S-Stan? » Genno stuttered.

The scientist's gaze was filled with worry.

«I heard your voice and I thought you were in trouble. What happened here? Are you alright? »

In front of that honest question, they realized that Stan did not know, that he had no idea of what had happened to Genno.

«I… » the teen was left speechless, unable to explain, to admit, to that man he admired how little of a human he felt like.

Ash, of course, approached the man, but his words were not ones Stan could understand. With a pinch to his heart, he cursed once more the fact that he was stuck as a pokemon.

If Stan was to know the truth, it would have to come from Genno himself.

Pikachu had also wanted to jump in, pushed by the same impulse Ash had followed. Having a human-formed ditto for a friend had given him the reflex to talk to humans as naturally as pokemon, only to be bitterly reminded of their defective ears.

Truly, it was lucky that Misty's milotic had felt the need of the poor teen for he would have been stunned beyond reach.

«You… you didn't hear about what happened when we freed the hostages? » Genno asked, his voice almost timid.

With a firm movement, Stan shook his head and encouraged Genno to go on.

«The… the plan was a success… we freed the officers and the children… and almost everyone escaped… »

The choice of words alerted the poke-geneticist.

«You said… «almost everyone»… » he started, starting to understand.

Genno could only nod in shame.

«I didn't escape… right away… Jonathan was… angry… »

Stan was holding his breath.

«He needed more test subjects… we took his away before… »

The mute sound that Ash suddenly started hearing was the noise of Stan gritting his teeth.

«…he gave me to… her… to… tame me… » Genno's voice broke on those last words.

Gone the rage, gone the anger, only utter shock and horror was reflected by Stan's expression now.

In a fierce embrace, Stan protectively hugged Genno and whispered these few words to him.

«Don't worry. I'll take care of you. I promise. »

And under Milosia's peaceful influence, they sounded like an offering of salvation. Genno let go of his worries as well as his secrets so that, for the first time since he had become a ditto, he felt truly protected.

* * *

After a little while, Stan finally turned his attention to the two electric types that were witnessing the scene.

«You two should head to the center's entrance, Officer Jenny is waiting for the rest of the gym leaders to gather there. She said she had something crucial to tell them. »

Taking that as their signal to leave, both pikachus left without protesting, although they did shoot a worried glance at Genno before going.

«What is it, Stan? S-Shouldn't we follow them? » Genno asked, full of hesitation.

Those vanished when the scientist gave him a warm smile.

«Don't worry. I'll tell you afterward. Right now, I think it would be best for you if we just talked. We have a lot to tell each other, don't we? »

Respecting their intimacy, Milosia decided to leave. For the moment, the ditto seemed stable enough. If anything was to happen, she'd come back swiftly.

* * *

The silence was broken by some quick-paced footsteps. Every single one was comparable to the thunder in such a peaceful place.

Not that it had any reason to be peaceful for it held within its walls some of the most hated criminals in all Kanto.

There was a reason Stan had arrived in the normally secluded room Ash and Pikachu had been given at the pokemon center. He had been looking for them after receiving a report from the Officer Jenny.

Of course, what was exchanged between him and Genno changed his mind about telling the three of them, but he, himself, had to come here.

After all, this was the place in which Jonathan Avery had just been imprisoned.

He reached for a particular door, followed by the blue-haired leader of the police force. Her sole presence was enough for the officers stationed there to let them in. They barely nodded to acknowledge their presence.

The room was dark, almost no light reached it. A simple bed was on one side of the room and, sitting with his head between his hands, Jonathan was waiting.

Their entrance did not go unnoticed. The fallen leader of Team Blast slowly raised his head to face his visitors. When his eyes fell on them, an arrogant smirk crept to his face.

«Are my eyes seeing wrong or is that really my old friend, Stan Folklow? »

«You are seeing wrong, Jonathan. No one here is your friend. » Stan replied with a hiss.

«Oh, such a nice way with words you have. » the prisoner replied mockingly.

«I've talked to Genno. I know what you did to him. »

His voice was seething anger and the hatred behind it was terrifying.

Had he not been so eager for anything to take his mind off his defeat, Jonathan might have taken the hint. However, he needed to think of something else before the anger made him mad. If playing with his old friend from college was his only alternative, he certainly would take it.

«Really? Did he tell you absolutely _everything_? »

«Yes! He emptied his heart to me, told me all the things that you, as a father, should have done for him, instead of what you did to him! »

«So he went and complained about his dad to his friend? This is not the Genno I remember. » he stated, his tone showing a hint of disdain.

«The Genno you remember did not have to live through what he did! He did not have to be tortured by a monster of a human and a monster of a father! He came running to the first person that could offer him a decent life! » Stan finally exploded.

«If you are such a better role model than I am, where is he? Why did you leave him alone to visit a monster like me? » Jonathan said with a condescending tone.

«You lost your right to know as his father, Jonathan. You threw that away a long time ago, it seems. »

This time, Jonathan even let out a small chuckle.

«That's right, you really seem to be a better man than I am, aren't you, Stan? You always were more righteous, more morally right than I could ever hope to be. It always dragged you down when we were doing researches while I was surpassing everyone's expectations. The truth is staring at you Stan. My way is the only path to the truth. »

«What truth? What is worth what you are doing? »

«THE TRUTH! I WANT THE TRUTH OF THIS WORLD AND I GOT IT! I KNOW THE TRUTH AND I MADE IT DANCE WITHIN MY PALM! » Jonathan suddenly yelled, his passion taking over.

He was stopped by a punch to his face.

«You… crazy… moronic… pathetic… excuse… of a man! » Stan hissed, punctuating each word with a new hit.

He heard Jenny clear her throat.

«Of course, brutality against imprisoned criminals is not tolerated. » She stated with a very calm voice.

Taking a few deep breaths, Stan managed to calm himself enough not to jump at Jonathan again.

«However, since I was admiring the walls of this cell just a second ago, I have no way of knowing what you did to him. Besides, with the number of bruises he boasts from that little mutiny he went through, there is no proof either. » she continued with a sly smile.

«How honorable, Jenny. » Jonathan could not help but comment as he was rubbing the now painful bruises he just got.

«I do not care for what you think of me, Mr. Avery. What I care about, however, is the thing you created. »

If anything, Jonathan's arrogance increased even more.

«Oh yes, my supreme creation. I do hope you're taking great care of it. After all, I did everything I did just to get a chance to create that. It was for the sake of showing the world the extent of my knowledge. »

Stan stuttered for words. He could barely restrain himself from beating that man to a bloody pulp. Luckily, the woman next to him had a lot of self-control when it came to handling criminals.

«Call it whatever you want, I do not care about that. I want you to give us the method to stop it.»

A dark light seemed to glitter in Jonathan's eyes, as if he realized something.

«You've read my notes Stan. I know you did. »

The anger in his former friend's face was all the answer he needed.

«You know what it is, right? You know exactly what I've done. You know its strength, its power, its origin… yet you don't know how to prevent it from hatching. » Jonathan gloated at his visitors.

A simple look at them was more than enough to realize it that Jonathan was right. They did not know how to stop that thing from seeing the light of the day.

However, Jenny took a step forward.

«Why? »

For a second, Jonathan stopped laughing and stared at the officer. What did she mean?

«Do you not have a way to stop it? If you don't, then you might be one of its victims. Don't you want to live? » she asked, her voice cold, but, at the same time, curious.

It was as if she had said something incredibly boring. Jonathan's expression lost all trace of joy or arrogance, it was just… blank.

«Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time, a god created a world that was beautiful and peaceful. On those lands were legions of people all living happily, enjoying what had been offered to them. However, one day, the god decided to leave the world to his children and locked all his power behind a door. To open this door would mean the end of the world and all that was needed to open that door was to pull a simple lever. Of course, those that knew about that door never tried to pull the lever and they were wise enough not to reveal that secret. With time, people forgot about the door altogether. »

Jonathan's expression suddenly twisted in a deranged smile.

«But, one day, a man found out about the door and he pulled the lever. Why? He did not want the power of the god for himself, he did not want the world to be destroyed, no, what he wanted was to see. »

Stan and Jenny had equally surprised expressions.

«Just to see. Just to know about the power of the god, he doomed his whole world. » the scientist rose up to his feet and claimed to the sky. «OUT OF THE WHOLE DESTROYED WORLD, HE WAS THE ONLY ONE TO BE HAPPY FOR HE HAD KNOWN WHAT OTHERS WOULD NEVER SEE!»

A thick silence filled the room. Jonathan seemed lost in his dreams and his two interlocutors were too stunned to say anything.

Slowly, the mad scientist came back from his daydream and looked down on them. With an arrogance that surpassed everything he had showed before, Jonathan stared at them with a delighted grin.

«That story is the story of our world and I am the man who pulled that lever. I will be the only one to die happy, for I will have gotten what I wanted while you will all die miserably. »

Those words seemed to have slapped Jenny in the face as she approached the man with a dark glare.

When he saw her determined expression, Jonathan let out a savage laugher.

«YOU WILL ALL DIE! NONE OF YOU CAN DEFEAT MY CREATION! AS SOON AS IT'S BORN, THIS WOLRD WILL BE AGONER! » he shouted, feeling like a victorious conqueror.

«A… lever? » Stan thought out loud.

It was as if the world had frozen still. Jonathan stared at the other poke-geneticist in shock and Jenny had lost her capacity for coherent speech.

They kept quiet as Stan started muttering unintelligible sentences. As time passed, his eyes showed more and more comprehension until he paused, frozen too, by the process of his own thoughts, no less.

Both Jonathan and Jenny jumped in surprised when Stan began to laugh loudly, almost like a child. They stood as they were; confusion showing in their body languages as they witnessed what seemed like an inappropriate expression of joy.

«Mr. Folklow? » Jenny tried, not sure of what else she could do.

Finally wiping the tears that had been rolling down his cheeks, Stan took a deep breath.

«Oh Mew, how long has it been since I laughed like that? It feels like it's been decades since it last happened. » he said, trying to hold back the hiccups his body was still subject to.

«What was so funny? » the officer asked, this time a bit bothered by the scientist's antics.

His eyes glistening, Stan showed them a grin that had nothing to envy to Jonathan's previous ones.

«Oh, I just realized how simple the solution was. All this time, it's been staring at my face like a couple of neon telling me «Helloooo? We're HERE! » and then, Jonathan told us his silly little story that was _exactly_ what I needed to hear to understand. The irony was just so… appropriate. You see, if, like he had never been able to do about anything even close to poke-genetics, he had just shut up, I might have never got it. Thanks, Jonathan. » Stan ended, having trouble controlling his hilarity.

The look of disbelief that painted itself on Jonathan's face was beyond all words.

Just as slowly as Jonathan had expressed his triumph earlier, Stan stood up and talked to Jenny.

«Let's go, we got what we came for. »

With a smile of her own, Jenny nodded and led him out of the cell.

However, just as she was about to ask the guard to close it behind them, Stan stopped and turned around.

«Oh, there's something I forgot to say! »

His expression suddenly thoughtful, he turned around and placed himself between the door and the frame. Frowning, he massaged his chin, as if troubled by something.

«What was it already…? » he asked out loud. «There's something I meant to tell you after I talked with Genno earlier today. »

His frown then turned into a smug grin.

«Oh yes, I remember. You were beaten up by your subordinates and your old friend from college whom you've always thought as a lesser scientist than yourself, you are currently held within a prison and will never leave it for the rest of your life and, most importantly, you were stupid enough to give me a way to destroy your «perfect creation». Let me say this: if there's a loser somewhere, it is definitely you. »

Jonathan's cell was from that point on and for as long as it held a prisoner filled with screams of impotent rage.


	56. Toward the future

**Poke-genetics: toward the future**

None of them had thought things would turn out like they did.

To say they had been unprepared would be completely unfair. They knew who they were after and had a general understanding of the even greater threat that was behind her.

They had dispatched every single police agents, every single gym leader, and every single member of Team Kanto after her.

They were afraid they might not have sent enough fighters.

Some people had snorted when they heard that concern. A quick glare from the ones that faced her had been enough to shut them up. Not a single objection had been made afterward. Not a single objection would be made today.

* * *

«Listen well, everyone. Janes knows about the secret I revealed to you. » Jenny started, carefully observing each and every one of the people she had shared the secret of the radar system, namely the gym leaders, Ash, Pikachu, Genno, Stan and Helen.

Her declaration was taken with the utmost serious. Janes was traceable, but she also knew about that. She was holding just as much cards as they were. The one that would play them the best would win.

«She once tried to extract the passwords out of my assistant, Jerry, but to no avail. »

Many sent respectful looks to the man at Jenny's right. It was a feat worthy of praise. One young ditto in particular was feeling extremely admiring of the police officer. To know that she was not all-powerful in her madness was comforting.

«Nonetheless, the fact that she knows of our trump card's existence means we must be cautious in the way we rely on the information it can give us. » she reminded while walking closer to a map of Kanto on the wall. More than twenty different spots were marked with red dots and circled. «Each of these represents a location in which Janes spent more than three hours straight. »

Ash stared at the familiar map with an unreal calm. One of these was where the monster was? He would make sure to be the one to defeat her once and for all.

«She never stayed in any of these more than six hours at once. Every single time we tried to send someone at her location, her Alakazam teleported her to another place. »

«She fled? » Brock asked, somewhat surprised.

«No, she did not. » Surge replied, his tone harsh as he was staring at the piece of paper on the wall. «She's stalling for time. »

«Correct. » Jenny agreed. «She is trying to make Jonathan's creation hatch. We can be sure of that. »

A collective shiver ran down their spines. After what Stan had explained, once he had read the mad scientist's notes to them, they were all too eager to stop it, at any cost deemed necessary.

«How much time left do we have? » Jenny inquired, more as a reminder than to satisfy a real need.

«Our estimations say that it may happen any time tomorrow. » Helen stepped forward.

«Everyone. Be prepared for the worst. If you have anything to say to your loved ones, you must do it now. Tomorrow, we will be fighting for our lives. »

* * *

The world had gone mad.

It was the distinct feeling they could not shake off.

Ash jumped backward to dodge the massive fangs that had nearly closed down on his face. Not losing time, he charged an electric attack and shocked the ratticate unconscious. A few seconds after, another pokemon took its place and Ash wanted to scream his frustration.

Unfortunately, his situation was not worse than anyone else's. Everywhere they look, there were aggressive wild pokemon fighting humans and pokemon alike.

«Watch out! » Pikachu shouted from behind him.

Ash turned around just in time to see a rapidash running wildly toward in his direction. He did not have the time to counterattack. No, instead, a torrent of water threw the fire type against a tree, rendering it unable to move.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the fiery color of Misty's hair and her determined posed as she showed the rest of her team exactly why she had earned her title of gym leader.

She was skilled, but, more than ever, he could feel her will to win. She was giving everything she had in this fight, so that everyone could have a future. Everyone, but more specifically, herself and Ash.

* * *

She had waited until everyone had left the room; bid her time for one last chance. When the others had left, she had gestured to Ash to stay behind.

The others only knowingly glanced at them before closing the door and leaving them alone.

«Ash… » she started, her voice trembling more than she would have liked.

Now that she was alone with him, she could finally say it.

«I love you. »

Ash froze in place. His jaw had dropped to the floor and he was thanking poke-genetics for at least making his fur thick and colorful enough to hide any blush he might have.

«Ash, my feelings for you have not changed. » She declared, a strength of character of unrivaled might appearing behind her hesitation.

Her hand on her heart, she kneed in front of him, her face much closer to his.

«When I saw you broken, it was as if my whole being had stopped existing, it was then that I knew, that I knew that no matter your form, your actions, your mistakes, I would love you. »

She looked on the verge of crying, her eyes glistering slightly, but suddenly, she closed her lips on his.

It was very gentle, timid and clumsy even, but carrying a love that made Ash see lights and his knees shake more strongly than any pheromone would ever do. Blinking in an oblivious way, his brain seemed to have turned off: «What's that expression that Genno always uses? Oh yeah… HOLY MILTANK! »

When she distanced herself, she looked very flustered, but one look at Ash's cloudy eyes made her smile. He was too goofy to be romantic, but, right now, she wanted nothing of that. She wanted the true Ash, the one that she had fallen in love with and that had started to fade away the longer the fight against Team Blast had went on.

To Ash's ears, her laugher at this very instant was the most beautiful sound in the world.

«Ash, when this is over, when peace will finally return to Kanto, I want you to go out with me. I don't care about your body, no complains will be accepted. I will help you raise your son, we WILL be one happy couple and one happy family. »

Man, even the way she ordered him around made him see beautyflys.

* * *

«What is going on here? » Jenny yelled, her arcanine clashing against an enraged looking donfan.

Not far from her, an intimidated looking Stan was trying to disappear from the sight of the ferocious beasts that were attacking his team. For once, he was actually acting like the scientist that much preferred labs to wilderness that he was. The anger that had inhabited him at the inhuman experiments done by his former friend and that arrogant Greenwood had somewhat faded with their punishments and he was simply not at ease with wild creatures. Humans were one thing, pokemon were another. Unfortunately for him, his presence was needed here. He was the one that had to eliminate the threat of the monster Jonathan had left behind.

«I… I think the presence of Jonathan's creation is stirring up the fighting instincts of those wild pokemon. Luckily, it only does that to pokemon that are confident in their strength. The weaker pokemon probably all fled this place. »

«So you're saying we're facing the strongest pokemon that live near Mont Silver and that's lucky? » Jenny snarled, too angry at the way things were turning out to be polite.

«I guess that seen this way… » He admitted sheepishly.

The exchange made Genno smile. That was the Stan he remembered from his childhood, a good man with his heart in the right place, but a bit goofy and easily distracted. Not that a violently protective Stan was not an improvement. It was just that when he was the one capable of turning into any pokemon he sees, that care seemed a bit superfluous.

When you didn't consider how mentally unstable he was just by being so close to that egg and… her…

The part of him that didn't die in her hands was the one that insisted he came, for his knowledge of poke-genetics was far behind Stan's or his father, but he could manage. Not to mention that he wanted to be there when she would be defeated.

Because she couldn't win this time, she had to fall this time. Otherwise everything would be lost.

And… he wanted to live. For once in his life, he could see something bright ahead of him, yet she was there. She was the last obstacle before putting it all behind them. He had taken Jenny's advice to heart and talked to one he owed so much. Now it was time to end this.

* * *

«Misty? » He had approached her timidly, not long before they departed.

The water type specialist felt very uneasy at the tone used. It sounded like the one she had used on Ash. It was as if…

«Could you… let me talk to Milosia? » Genno finished, blushing heavily.

She let out a very distinct sigh of relief when she actually processed the question. For a second, she thought he might have asked her… No, that was stupid. She only thought that because he was in a copy of Ash's body.

«Oh, of course. » she said, letting her pokemon out and giving them a little privacy.

He waited until Ash's love was gone to truly look at the water type.

She was beautiful beyond words. She was the light that had chased all shadows. She was the pokemon that had saved him from the most terrible fate.

He loved her. She was the one, he just knew it.

Her presence was more soothing to him than anything else in the world. Her sole existence was enough for the madness to disappear, he could feel it. At that very moment, Genno felt as if the world existed only for her.

«Milosia. I wanted to tell you, I wanted you to know… I love you. »

The water type remained silent for a quite a long time, simply locking her gaze on him, under which Genno grew increasingly uncomfortable. Had he done something wrong by telling her? Should… should he take it back? No, no, that was stupid, you can't take THAT back. But what could he do?

«M-Milosia? » he asked, desperate for a way to get out of this mess.

«You do not. » she finally replied, her voice a mixture of tenderness and pain.

«What? I do! I'm not lying. » Genno stuttered, unable to understand her.

«No, you do not know that you are lying, there is a difference. »

«I… I don't understand. I really love you, Milosia. » His voice turned into a pleading. What was she talking about?

«You do not love me. You merely admire me, idolize me. » This time, she sounded in pain.

«No! I'm sincere. » Genno shouted, feeling the conversation slipping away. Was he being rejected in an unconventional way? «If it's because I'm in a human body, I can change! What form would make you happy, I… »

«No, Genno. » She cut him off, her tone gentle. «It truly is as simple as that. Unless you can prove that you are not simply addicted to the effect my power has on your mind… unless you can prove that it truly is me, as a milotic, that you love, then I will not let you in that indulge in that dream. Make no mistake, I will help you as long as you will ask me to, for it is my nature to help tormented souls, but I will not stay to your side as a lover. Look in yourself, what is it really that you wish for your future? Is it really to bind your life to mine? Tell me the truth when you find it. » With that, she returned to her trainer's side.

Stunned, the poor ditto didn't know what to do.

«Look in yourself», she had told him, but what was there to see? He was just a broken young man… ditto and he thought he had been in love. Surprisingly, the exchange had not left him in tears or in pain or even afraid. There had been no emptiness, no unbelievable sadness at the rejection. He just felt slightly lighter.

«You simply admire me», were Milosia's words.

Was that it? When he looked into Ash's eyes as he was stealing a few glances at Misty, he could see that burning affection. Heck, looking at Stan eying Helen was obvious enough in itself.

It was also different. Yes, Ash was devoted to Misty in some way, but… he did not put her on an unreachable pedestal like he had done with Milosia. His friend was trying to be worthy of his love. All he had done was groveled to her gracious figure and say a few words. Never had he thought of being her equal, never had he thought of sharing something with her. In his mind, the only possible thing to do was to give her everything until he had nothing left.

She had seen right through him, seen right through that dangerous dream and prevented him from jumping into an unhealthy relationship that was bound to end badly. A spark of what he thought was love tickled his chest. It was indeed admiration, not love. He relied on her power, nothing more, nothing less.

Alone, unsure of what to do or what to say, his only thought was: «Now what? ».

The weirdest thing was… he liked that. He was not bound by anything for once, not by his father, not by his fears, not by his debt to Milosia. With those words, she had once more succeeded in healing a broken part of his mind. He had been too afraid; he needed to take control of his own life. Now, the choice was his to make and he intended to take his time for that.

* * *

Really, both Ash and Genno were idiots! No matter what the situation, they always jumped right in the middle of the most dangerous place! And who had to clean up behind them and protect them at every corner? Him, of course! Granted, this time he wouldn't have minded a little extra help to defend himself either, but he couldn't be the only one getting exasperated with that behavior. Perhaps if he managed to bribe Misty into beating that out of him…

Pikachu grinned begrudgingly. He had stayed with Ash long enough to know him like the back of his paw. No matter what he did, his trainer always had that brutal simplicity and honesty behind every choice.

So, for once, Pikachu had been the one to be honest.

* * *

«Ash, I have to talk to you. Can we go somewhere else? » The pokemon looked around, shooting a few nervous glances at the officers that were running everywhere.

«Huh? Sure, if that what's you want, buddy. » Ash agreed with a smile.

Finding a place that was quiet turned out to be quite the challenge. There were officers everywhere and it was perfectly reasonable. After all, they were preparing for a dangerous mission, especially if they didn't make it on time.

Ash would have normally asked why he was bothered by the presence of others, whatever he'd say wouldn't be understood anyway, but… there was a look of seriousness in Pikachu's eyes that prevented him from speaking his mind.

«Ash… I told you that I had been alone with Janes after she sent you to here, didn't I? » He started, an unusual tension seemingly restraining him.

It felt weird to his trainer. Pikachu had never been so indirect whenever he wanted to talk to him.

«You did… » Ash confirmed, not quite sure he liked where that was heading.

«What I haven't told you is what really happened back then… » He whispered, looking away in shame.

For a second, it looked as if he was going to run away… and when he locked back his eyes into Ash's, Pikachu was crying.

«She knew! She knew that I refused to evolve and tried to use it against me! She gave me a thunderstone as the only way to recover fast enough to save you and I couldn't do it before it was too late! »

«Pikachu… » Ash called, calm in spite of the heated argument his best friend was giving himself.

Hearing his trainer's voice didn't make him less shameful, but at the very least, it was enough for him to lower the volume of his own. Trembling, eyes closed as if refusing to face Ash, he continued what felt like his own trial.

«I'm a horrible friend, Ash. And don't protest! I know what I'm saying and what you want to say! It is still true, Ash. Janes guessed things that should have only been yours to hear, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, not even when I finally have to the chance to! »

«What are you talking about? You can't say you're a bad person because of what Janes said! She's a monster! »

«It doesn't matter, Ash. I should have told you. You tell me about your secrets, your insecurities and your fears. It's not right that I don't share anything with you. I wouldn't be acting differently if I didn't trust you and I swear I do! » He had calmed down a lot, but Ash could still see the strain he was putting on himself.

«…What do you want to talk about? » He asked softly.

«…Ash, do you remember our conversation about Alexchu's name? » Pikachu began.

«Of course I do! That was right after his birth! How could I ever forget? You told me Alex needed to have «pi», «pika» and/or «chu» in his name. »

«You didn't find it strange that I said nothing about «rai»? After all, it is also describing a part of our specie. » Pikachu wondered, though there was a hint of sadness in it.

«I… I thought it was because there was no guarantee to evolve into one… You need a thunderstone so… » Ash scratched the back of his head.

«Close enough. » His friend nodded. «No parents name their child with that unless they have the firm belief that they will grow to be of extraordinary strength, of body or heart. You might think that most parents would do it, seeing as it's a mark of trust in one's children, but that's just wishful thinking. »

It was not his imagination; Ash knew for sure that Pikachu was trembling.

«How do you think some react when they meet a pokemon with such a name but that all in all is just a regular pokemon? They think he failed his parents! » Pikachu shouted, finally letting go of his control.

«No! » Ash immediately grabbed his friend by his shoulders and forced him to look up. «You failed no one! Never! You are my best friend, you are the one companion I'll never be able to part with, the one that helped me through every single trials I've had to face ever since my pokemon master journey started! You are strong! Both of heart and body! »

«Thank you, Ash, but I'm not done yet. » There was a faint smile on Pikachu's lips, but it vanished quickly. «I haven't told you the most important thing yet. »

«What is it, Pikachu? »

«My mother… you know how I said that she had gotten ill before I was born… well, there is more to it than that. »

Ash respectfully waited for his friend to continue. He didn't want to startle him when he was showing so much trust in him.

«My mother had a friend. She remembered growing up with her, although they were not of the same blood. I think her name was Pialka. The two of them lived on the same territory and often spent time to look for food or play together. It was on one of those instances that it happened…» Pikachu swallowed hard, having trouble to continue. «They were playing in the forest when they stumble upon a thunderstone. It was imbedded in a rock. Curious and a bit envious, my mother told me, they tried to take it out of the rock. With a good Iron tail, they managed to break the rock apart. What they didn't think of was that the broken parts flew across the trees and one of them landed on a beedrills' nest. »

A light of fear appeared in Ash's eyes.

«The bug pokemon attacked what they thought were hostiles pikachus in a swarm. My mother and Pialka fought them and won… but they had both been poisoned. » He ignored his friend's gasp and continued, his voice wavering every now and then. «Their strength was vanishing by the minutes; they had to do something. So… my mother threw the stone at Pialka and told her to find some berry to cure herself. She knew that as a raichu, Pialka would have enough strength to move and hopefully could find something purge the poison from her own body. At the time, my mother fully expected to die. » There were tears in the corner of the electric type's eyes.

He felt the arms of his friend tighten around him and their warmth was of a great comfort to him.

«But Pialka's friendship was stronger than my mother could imagine. She carried my mother on her back and dashed through the woods. She found the right berries and they were both saved that day. It's just… my mother's body had been more affected by the poison than Pialka, so she never fully recovered. They continued playing and seeing each other, until the day Pialka was captured. Then, my mother's health just kept going down until… »

He could hear Ash's gently stroke his back as he could feel his tears soak his friend's fur.

«I know… I know that both my mother and Pialka were strong. I just want to prove myself worthy of the confidence she had in me by my own means. I don't want to evolve to get stronger; I want to get stronger by myself, with you, Ash. »

«Pikachu! » The embraced tightened and he understood that Ash had been just as emotional as him. «I swear you're going to be the strongest pikachu ever! I swear! »

«Thank you, Ash. Thank you… »

They heard a strident whistle and a bunch of humans running.

«I guess that's our cue, Ash. But before we go see the others, I wanted to tell you one last thing.» This time, there was no sadness, just a smile that showed a bond of friendship stronger than any monster could ever break. «My name is…»

* * *

Every single being froze in place and the fighting came to a halt.

The ground was shaking under the power of an earthquake. In itself, it was an uncommon event, but nothing that remarkable. The real problem was that a feeling of dread had descended into them, striking them in the deep of their minds.

Genno had dug his hands into the bark of the nearest tree to the point of them bleeding, just to stop himself from falling to his knees.

«It… it will hatch soon! » He yelled, quite uselessly, as a thick silence had taken place between the fighters.

Did they understand their fellow pokemon? Did their instinct tell them exactly what had caused the earthquake? Regardless, the wild pokemon went into frenzy, attacking with pure madness.

«Someone has to go now! » Jenny screamed over the chaos, hoping that someone would have the chance to hear her.

«WE WILL! » Ash replied, ignoring if someone had noticed his reply.

He knew where to go; he had known as soon as he had arrived in the forest, but he had waited, knowing that the wisest thing to do was to go as a team, but they no longer had the luxury to lose some time anymore.

He ran with all his might, dodging a few crazed pokemon at the same time and crossed the battlefield, a few pair of eyes following him.

Not caring about the pain screaming from his hands, Genno spotted Stan among the humans and the look they exchanged was heavy with meaning.

* * *

He broke out of the bushes to stumble upon a small clearing, one that ended against the rock face of a small mountain. It would be an ordinary place, if not for the entrance of a cavern right in front of him or the woman waiting next to it.

Leaning against the rocky wall, Janes smiled when she identified the two intruders.

Both Ash and Pikachu felt like ripping it off her face.

«Boys, I was hoping to see you two again. » She said, a fake warmth filling her voice.

To them, it was nothing more than the foulest sound they had ever heard. Seeing their expression, Janes pouted.

«Aren't you happy to see me? I was so worried when you left me that last time. I thought… that we would never see each other again. » Her smile darkened into something dangerous.

«Guess again, Janes! We still have one last meeting to go through and this time, YOU will wish to never cross our path again! » Ash declared, his body already twitching at the thought of the incoming battle.

«Don't be so cold. » Janes demanded, one hand over her chest as if in pain. «It reminds me of a wild beast that mates without even knowing the other. »

Pikachu saw it, that spark of fury that ignited whenever Alex's happiness or safety was threatened. He already knew what was going to happen. Twice before, it had gone the same way.

Janes's smiled as Ash dashed toward her. The boy simply could not hold his temper under control; she knew that, she used it against him to make him go mad. He might appear sane, but the part that was broken would always remain there, reminder of his bloodlust.

The electric type had almost reached her when his cheeks started lighting up with sparks. Before she could react, Ash's body was surrounded by lightning and her intent to stab turned into a very urgent feeling to dodge!

She sidestepped, half-way spinning, and he missed her by an inch. She was already making her move to throw her knife right into his back when something hit her square in the legs.

Janes fell on her back, realizing that Pikachu had once more saved his trainer. However, that thought disappeared the moment she saw him in the air, an Iron tail ready to strike her.

It hit both her knives, that she crossed over her to stop the attack. She regained some confidence as the pokemon could not push down further, but it was then that she caught a glimpse of the other one, preparing a thunderbolt.

«Dragonite… » she called, not really fazed.

From her belt, a pokeball opened, revealing the dragon pokemon roaring a challenge at the ones that dared assault his mistress.

The lightning attack hit him, but he shrugged it off and sent Ash flying toward the woods.

Pikachu jumped backward and placed himself between his opponents and his trainer, ready to defend him to his last breath.

Slowly, Janes stood up and dusted her clothes nonchalantly.

«Not bad, boys. I see you're a bit wiser and stronger than before. » She acknowledged, perfectly calm.

Seeing that the electric type had no intention to reply, she pouted.

«How boring, Pikachu. I thought you'd be more talkative than that. It's like you don't even care for what I say. Do you really resent me so much? Do you hate me for giving you a chance to evolve? » She questioned, her tone slightly childish, but her eyes were filled with a mocking madness. She had seen him flinch; she knew he was not over it. «I don't know why you refused. I thought you were more attached to your trainer than that. »

«You know, there is something really important that I meant to tell you before you sent me in those woods to die. Would you like to hear it? » Pikachu asked, gritting his teeth in anger.

«And what would that be? » Janes raised one eyebrow at that.

«I wish you would take those knives of yours and shove them. Deep. » Pikachu smirked.

She stared at him, speechless for a minute. Then, one eye twitching, Janes spoke again, but her tone was much less happy sounding.

«I know where I will put them and I know you will eat those words. I hope you are ready to have a new body. I'm afraid that with all the holes in it, a thunderstone might not be enough to save you this time. »

She was serious. There would be no place for a mistake now.

«Are you sure you want to do that, Janes? » Ash's voice came from the bushes, louder.

Ash came into the clearing once more, under the eyes of the three other. He seemed to be in a bit of pain, but not disabled. Despite that injury, he seemed much more confident than when he first arrived.

«Pikachu is strong, Janes, stronger than any of your pokemon. Do you really think you can afford to make him more powerful than before? »

«Is that really something you ought to be concerned with? » She laughed at the argument. «I think I can handle it quite well, don't worry about me, lover boy. »

It was hard to see, but there were some traces of anger buried beneath Ash's calm behavior. Turning to his friend, he offered a paw.

«Let's show her your power, buddy. » The teen proposed with a smile.

«Together. » Pikachu replied, already building up his power.

Their paw closed on the other's, they focused as much power as they could. It was time to make her pay, to make her feel fear. They unleashed the strongest electric type move they knew; the woods were illuminated by Thunder.

Janes gasped. A tidal wave! There was a tidal wave of pure lightning heading her way!

«Alakazam, Wobbuffet! »She called, throwing her pokeballs very quickly.

Both psychic types glowed with power and formed a barrier between their mistress and the attack.

The electricity collided with the barrier in a rumble of apocalypse. From each side of the shield, lightning was striking at the mountain with unprecedented violence. Blinded by the brilliance, Janes could not see a thing; she could only feel the roar of the wind and the overwhelming screech of the electric assault.

She was standing in the eye of the storm and even as blinded as she was, she knew her pokemon were uneasy with such power.

When finally, the attack died down, her psychic types all but collapsed, emptied of their strength.

Compared to the unbearable noise from before, this silence was ringing to her ears, letting her hear all too well the hammering of her own heart. She recovered her sight quickly, enabling her to witness the smug expression of the two pokemon that were facing her.

«Pikachu took down a legendary by himself. » Ash declared with a supreme sense of satisfaction. «I'm afraid your team just won't be able to keep up. You said you wanted to give him a thunderstone? Go ahead_, if you dare!_ »


	57. Monstrous last stand

**Poke-genetics: monstrous last stand **

Her mind was of a cold precision. Her whole thinking process was focused on finding a plan, one that would allow her to crush those annoying little furballs.

Right now, her wobbuffet and her alakazam were both panting out of exhaustion. It was the first time that it happened to them in battle. Then again, it had been a long time since someone had dared face her head-on. She could simply punish them later, but not too harshly. Right now, she had something else to take care of.

«Tyranitar… » She let go of her last pokeball, calling another powerhouse to the game. «So, it is a two-on-two battle then? » Janes snickered.

Both her pokemon followed her example, staring down at the two yellow mice. They ignored the glare that Pikachu sent their way, though the smile on Ash's face was a bit unsettling.

«No, it's a two-on-one. »

Janes's jaw drop, just like that of her dragonite and tyranitar.

«What I should have realized the first time we fought is that I'm a trainer. My role has always been to think of strategies from the sidelines. When I fight, I get in the way. »

Pikachu's whole body was tense. This was not a surprise; rather, this was what he wanted. Since the first time they had faced Team Blast, he had not been able to protect Ash properly. Now was his chance to set things right.

He shot a knowing look to his trainer, to which he replied with a wink.

«I know you can take them both, buddy. » Ash's voice was strong, unfaltering. He had no doubts.

From the other side of the clearing, Janes had returned from her stupor and narrowed her eyes at them. The boy was not acting like she had predicted. She did not like this.

Neither did her dragonite.

«DO NOT MOCK ME, MOUSE! » He roared, his body shaking with anger. «THIS PATHETIC LITTLE POKEMON WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE ME DOWN! » His nostrils flared with fire, earning a smirk from his mistress. «I AM A DRAGONITE, AN APEX PREDATOR. YOU TWO DON'T STAND A CHANCE AGAINST ME! »

He beat his wing slowly, creating a few gusts of winds toward them.

Ash looked thoroughly unimpressed.

«So what? Pikachu has defeated legendaries before. Two of them. »

Janes saw her pokemon falter, shocked out of his mind.

Even as he yelled to cover the noise, there was a beaming pride hidden underneath those words that made Janes believe him and grit her teeth. She vaguely remembered that he had faced an opponent with two legendaries in one of his team and both had been knocked out, at the cost of his own team.

The reminder coldly washed away her hesitations. She had to crush them as fast as possible.

«Pikachu, use agility. »

Following the order, he dashed forward, his fur glowing faintly.

Janes shouted her orders immediately.

«Dragonite, Flamethrower, Tyranitar, Dark pulse! »

A stream of fire followed a stream of darkness and ripped through the distance. Even from where he was standing, Ash could feel the vibe of power the attacks gave.

«Agility again! » He screamed, his heart missing a beat.

Pikachu suddenly accelerated, running below both move just as they hit the ground.

They clashed with a frightening screech right before they exploded.

«Catch him! » She ordered, seeing the move had been unsuccessful.

«Pikachu, Agility again! » Ash repeated and she saw the pokemon eat the distance between them in a heartbeat.

Her movements frantic, she threw one knife right where his body should be, only for him to break his charge and change direction.

She only got a glimpse of a yellow blur as he ran past right between her two pokemon.

«Agility! » The other pikachu shouted once more.

«Draco meteor! » She yelled, trying to hide her anger.

The blast of energy flew straight toward the sky and exploded, scattering into a dozen fireballs.

Not losing a second, Ash stepped back and yelled.

«Now! »

He disappeared.

Pikachu was gone. It was not that she couldn't follow him anymore; he simply was no longer in the clearing anymore. Even his presence was nothing but a fading echo.

The meteors made contact with the ground. The clearing disappeared from her eyes, now thoroughly filled with dust and fragments of the now broken ground.

«Dragonite, blow the dust away! » She shouted, glancing nervously at her surroundings.

She knew… she just knew Pikachu was about to attack her!

The sudden rush of wind cleared the battlefield, allowing her to see what her instinct had screamed to her.

Janes dove to the ground just in time to dodge a bolt of lightning.

«Tyranitar, Iron tail! » She growled.

The armor pokemon swung her tail dreadfully fast, but it only went through thin air. Ash had jumped backward, to the other end of the battlefield already.

Gritting her teeth, she glared at the pikachu.

«I thought you said you were not going to fight, boy. »

Her anger turned into fury as the boy dared smiled.

«I did? » He looked uncharacteristically surprised. «Silly me. My tongue must have slipped. » Ash grinned smugly at the horrible woman. It felt incredibly nice to see her lose her cool, to see her annoying smiles get replaced with scowls.

Janes stood up, her body tensed and ready for battle. Her opponent could not help but feel a cold shiver of fear when her eyes fell on him again. There was no trace of silliness or of any mockery left. It was only full, unaltered power.

«Dragonite, burn that runt to a crisp. » She pointed to Ash and her pokemon turned to him.

Ash saw the dragon type leaped in his direction and his pikachu instinct took over for a split second. He sprinted to his left, running away from the flames that were heading his way.

He tried to glance toward Janes, but another wave of fire made him jump away instead.

This was bad.

* * *

How long had it been? How long had it been since the last time she had actually faced an actual challenge?

A few months ago. That was surprisingly close. After all, the time before that had happened years before.

Staring down at that black dragon had been an enlightening experience. Giovanni had been wrong to send her to Marco. Losing in a one-on-one fight had been a great surprise to her. To think that man held such a ferocious creature.

Her view of him changed from sickeningly sweetheart to sickeningly sweetheart with the power of a monster.

It had been a game at first: to see if she could outwit him, to see if she could take him by surprise.

He had won a certain numbers of times, she'd admit it, but she kept her own victories hidden. Each of them had been secrets she hid away. She could not let him guess when.

Both of them knew the inevitable betrayal was going to happen sooner or later, all that mattered was to see if it would be successful.

She struck at the exact time he'd be the most distracted and the taste of victory had clouded his judgment. Or perhaps he believed her when she said she would not betray him to Giovanni.

That had been the truth. She had not lied; she found that petty man boring. Money this, money that, power this, power that…

Where was the place for what truly mattered?

Fun.

And this was fun, in its own way. All she needed was to do a bit of twisting.

Janes smiled and opened her eyes.

It was all clear, the brat's plan, the way this battle would end. She could see it all.

«Tyranitar. » She called her pokemon and raised a thumb, pointing behind her.

Said beast whipped her head toward her mistress and nodded.

She fired an Ice beam toward the cave and the hole in the mountain disappeared behind a thick layer of ice.

«That's what you were aiming for, weren't you? » She raised her voice to be heard over the rumble of the flames created by her dragon-type. «Too bad that you can't get there without breaking the ice now, don't you think? By all means, feel free to try to break it before Jonathan's little monster comes to this world. As for me, I'll watch in delight as you- »

She cut her speech and threw a thunderstone right over her head.

Janes turned around and drew her knives.

She had the pleasure of seeing a pikachu about to attack her from the air.

«…walk right into my trap. »

Her first knife diverted the Iron tail he had intended to use against her. Her second went straight into his guts.

The yellow mouse mouth filled with blood. This… this feeling of… it was all too familiar…

«Nice try, Pikachu. That was an enjoyable fight. » She congratulated, dramatically waving her arm around, driving the knife deeper and deeper. «Of course, it would be a bit merciful to let you die now. The best would be to let you survive just long enough to see your precious trainer suffer a long and needlessly cruel agony. »

«PIKACHU! » Ash's voice broke into a horrified scream.

Janes shivered in pleasure.

«Yes… that kind of horrified realization in which a person's happiness shatters. Of course, for poor little Ash, it will be our little furball of a son. I can't wait to get my hands on him and play like a good mother. »

The pikachu's eyes were getting cloudy with the pain and the blood loss. Nevertheless, his fear was so transparent she could practically read his mind.

«Oh my, this is a rather serious wound. To heal this, there is only one way, you know? » Her eyes glittered with joy. At the end of her weapon, the pikachu was panting heavily, his face strained under the pain and the fear.

The stone fell right on him.

Panicking, he shot a look of desperation toward his trainer.

Then his whole body glowed white and Janes dropped him to the ground.

«I recall you wanted to avoid evolution even if it cost your friend his moral integrity. I wonder how long you will be able to live with yourself after this much needed evolution. » She questioned her enemy with a morbid curiosity.

The pikachu's shape started to blur, growing bigger and its structure changing.

It grew big. Bigger than the usual raichu.

Her eyes widened as she stared down at a dragonite.

«What? »

The dragon's mouth opened and she saw an orb of orange light form.

The realization hit her like a thunderbolt.

«NO! I FORBID YOU! THIS IS AN ORDER! »

The impact cut her breath and her body suddenly felt very light.

She was sent flying against the rocky wall of the mountain.

An eruption of pain dulled her mind and she fell to the ground, unable to move.

«MISTRESS! » Her dragonite roared in anger and dashed her way without a second thought for his prey.

It was halfway there when a torrent of lightning stopped it in midflight. The dragon-type spat out streams of fire and ice in a desperate attempt to hit its attacker. To no avail.

The dragonite's body fuming, panting, it stood there, on the verge of collapsing.

Smiling from ears to ears, Ash smugly walked up to it.

«Do you still think Pikachu is just a ridiculous little mouse? » He asked, teasing.

The dragon-type tried to swing its tail at Ash, but it flinched in pain before that.

«You're not the strongest, Pikachu is. » He smiled fondly and walked past the infuriated pokemon without a second thought.

The dragonite tried to take its revenge, but just as it was about to launch itself toward the arrogant trainer, a blow to its head rendered it unconscious.

Pikachu graciously landed on his feet, just behind Ash.

«Alright, Ash, this has to be the most unbelievably stupid plan of yours to ever work. » He commented, not quite sure it really had worked.

«It went great, because of you. » Ash fondly looked back to him. «I knew you could pull it off, though I'll admit that when Genno attacked her, I was really panicking. »

He was hit on the shoulder for his trouble.

«Come on, buddy, we did it. It's over. »

They reached Genno's dragonite body, who was seemingly shocked.

«Genno? » Pikachu asked with concern.

«I… went against… her order…» His voice was very faint, which was worrying considering the sheer size of a dragonite. « It's against the rules… »

At that, both his friends winced.

«I did it. » Genno finally sighed in relief and Ash and Pikachu's hesitation turned into a full-blown joy.

«Yes, you did, Genno. You stood up to her! » Ash hugged his now much bigger friend.

«We did it… » He whispered, tears threatening to fill his eyes.

Their joy shattered when they heard a crystalline laugh coming over from the lying body near the cave.

«Aren't you forgetting someone, boys? » Janes taunted.

Before they could make any sense to her words, a wave of sand hit them and clouded their vision.

«Her tyranitar!» Pikachu warned them over the screeching howl of the wind.

«Can you locate it? » Ash shouted back, desperate trying to find Janes's last pokemon.

«Not in the middle of a sandstorm! »

Ash bit his lips with despite. It was going so well so far!

He backed away slightly, resting against Genno's new body. What should he do?

He could not see far ahead of himself, nor could he hear anything other than the wind carrying the sand, nor could he smell anything other than sand. It was the first time since being turned into a pokemon that he truly felt blind.

«Look out! » He heard Pikachu screamed and pushed him away from a pair of sharps claws.

In seconds, the shape of the tyranitar faded away behind the veil of sand again.

«It's going to keep attacking us like that until it defeats us all. » Ash's mind provided him with an extremely clear summary of the next attack. «Genno, transform! »

Just in the nick of time, the ditto shrank down to the size of a pikachu and a glowing tail swoop harmlessly over his head.

For a second, the dark shape of the tyranitar stopped moving, as if surprised by that turn of event.

«Pikachu, Thunderbolt! » Ash called.

The lightning dispersed harmlessly in the sand, without hitting anything, as Janes's pokemon was already gone.

«Guys, we have to find out who it's going to attack next and aim for that moment to counter. » Ash said, both of the other pikachus nodding. «Alright, concentrate. »

His eyes narrowed and focused on the single pathway in front of him.

A single grain of sand flew right under his nose, another brushed against his fur, another gently stroked the end of his tail, another lodged itself between his claws.

«The sand… » Ash thought. «It's going around in circle. It's not going in a single direction. We're right in the middle of the sandstorm and it's revolving around us… No! It's revolving around that tyranitar! »

Struck by the inspiration, going by his instinct, Ash turned to his friends.

«Pikachu, use Thunder to your left! »

Electricity filled the air and the sand slowed down imperceptibly. It was as if everything was going in slow motion. Ash saw the power surged out of his pokemon's body and toward the location he had indicated. He heard a slight growl of annoyance when the tyranitar realized it was being attacked. Just like before, the wave of lightning was incredibly loud, so it probably was the reason why he felt more than he heard the start of the earthquake.

Pikachu lost his footing and with it, the attention needed to attack. The energy faded in the sandstorm while all three pikachus fell off their feet.

He lost sight of them all.

What he did suddenly gain sight of was a massive tyranitar looming over him.

Ash jumped to his right just as a ray of pure darkness was about to hit him.

«Pathetic little pokemon… » The tyranitar said with a strangely feminine voice. «Do you honestly believe you can win? Dragonite got careless; I won't. »

«Then I will just beat you the direct way! » Ash shot back, accelerating.

His Agility strategy had worked well before, didn't it?

The ground started shaking once more and he lost his balance unceremoniously.

«I told you I wouldn't get careless. » The tyranitar repeated her statement. «I won't let you do the same thing as your companion. I may not be as fast as you, but I can still catch you. »

Before Ash could stand up, he was hit by a pale blue beam and his legs got encased in ice. With a grim satisfaction, the tyranitar walked to his level.

«This is the end, » she declared, her voice as cold as the ice maintaining Ash in place.

No! It was not going to end now! Not after everything that they had went through! They would win! They would win this and go back and get their lives back and he would raise his son, he would love Misty, he would see his mother again, talk with his father, have fun with his friends. And to do that, he would WIN!

The lightning erupted from his body and, the ice shattering, he lunged at her.

He grabbed the first part of her armored skin he could and bit it, still covered in lightning.

The tyranitar roared, much like the dragonite before her. Putting all her strength in it, she trashed her body violently, trying to shake off the pikachu that was holding on to her.

Ash felt his grip loosen just before he was sent flying.

«Don't stop… » He thought, his body still emitting electricity. «Before she can counter, run to her. »

The tyranitar's eyes fell on him and they narrowed with the promise of a swift death.

«Don't hesitate. Run. » Ash sprinted.

He knew what was coming, he had seen it once.

Ash jumped, dodging the Earthquake entirely. A look of shock painted the tyranitar's face as the pikachu dove toward her. Right before the impact, she saw a furious determination glitter in her opponent's eyes and, just then, she knew she had already lost.

Ash used the last of his momentum to flip forward once and rammed his tail into the tyranitar's shoulder.

* * *

Unable to see through the veil of sand, Pikachu and Genno suddenly felt their bodies get blown away by an explosion.

The impact on the ground was harsh, but could not hold them down. Though when they did stood up, the sandstorm was gone and Ash was staring at an unconscious tyranitar.

«Ash! » They yelled as they ran to him.

Ash was finally taken down, from Pikachu's hug.

«I thought she might have… »

«You did that? » Genno eyed the massive monster lying next to them.

«Yeah, I beat her. » Ash grinned.

He had won, by himself, no less.

An oppressive feeling of dread descended upon them and they turned around toward the cave.

«We need to get to the egg now! » Genno screamed, his voice cracking in fear.

«And what will you do if you get to it? » They shivered when they heard Janes's exhausted voice. «You won't be able to prevent the birth of Jonathan's monster. »

«We will. Stan found a way. » Genno had the pleasure to see Janes's eyes widen in surprise.

«Impossible! »

«It is. » His body started shaking, locking his gaze into hers. «A pokemon will hatch only if it isn't facing conditions unfavorable to its type. A fire-type egg will not hatch in the middle of an ocean, nor will a flying-type comes to life in a blizzard. We need to put it into a stable condition that will forever prevent it from seeing this world. » With each passing word, he seemed to gain confidence.

«No! »

«You know we're telling the truth, Janes, because it hurts you. » Ash's expression was that of a savage triumph.

«However what conditions could be unfavorable to a Legendary? Well, we need to go to plan B, which is to provoke an artificial stasis. We probably wouldn't have made it in time if it had not been already invented. » Genno felt a burning anger ravage his mind. «If Jonathan had not created a stabilizer, you would have won! »

She was going to fail… because of _Jonathan_? She was going to be defeated because of a chemical that man had invented on a whim?

«NO! I WON'T LET YOU! » She screamed with fury.

«Don't worry, Janes, we are not that cruel. We won't give you any choice. » Pikachu's traits hardened and the woman felt the very tangible threat hang over her head.

«ALAKAZAM! PARALYZES THOSE BRATS! »

The psychic broke free of his pokeball and appeared, his eyes already glowing with power.

Their body stopped responding.

«You… will stay… motionless… until it comes to life… » She panted in pain, her body aching all over.

Ash's jaw started hurting as he was clenching it so hard just to try to move. He shot a murderous glare at the psychic-type and it faltered.

It was those eyes, again, the same ones he had seen when he had taken his mistress back, the same ones that promised him a world of pain. It just knew that if it let go, it would die. Either it would be killed or it would delay them enough.

The blood thirst grew and so did the alakazam's anxiety.

It could not afford to let it get away; it had to kill him, now!

Ash's body started floating and the alakazam started panting with the effort. Nonetheless, its psychic grip did not loosen. It was as if it considered it a lifeline.

The alakazam lifted Ash higher and looked at the rocky wall to its right.

Pikachu understood the pokemon's intent in a flash. It wanted to hurl him at the mountain!

«NOT THE KIDS, YOU FILTHY HYPERNEUROTICALLY-DEVELOPPED BEAST! » A cry of rage startled them all.

The alakazam was tackled to the ground by a very angry looking dragonite.

«Don't you dare… touch a single piece of their fur… » it whispered threateningly.

The alakazam was rendered unconscious by a blast of blue energy to the face.

«Huh? » The dragonite jolted back in surprise. «How did I do that? »

Ash, Pikachu and Janes were staring at the unconventional dragon with very freaked out expressions, even if Janes herself could not make out the meaning of its words.

Pikachu's memory flashed in his eyes and he suddenly remembered being carried to a pokemon center by that very same dragonite.

«You made it! » Genno sighed in relief.

They turned at him, blinking. He knew that weird pokemon?

«Of course I would. I told you it's not the first time I use a DNA sample. We had to test the antidote somehow, didn't we? » The dragonite put both hands on his hips and smiled playfully at the pikachu-shaped ditto.

«Can someone explain to us who's that? » Ash finally asked, the confusion eating the inside of his mind.

«You don't recognize me, Ash? I admit I changed a lot in the last fifteen minutes. »

«Stan, we need to get at the egg now! It's about to hatch! » Genno shot a very worried look at the cave behind them, still blocked by the ice.

«STAN? » Pikachu and Ash yelled.

«Of course. » Stan nodded. «I have the stabilizer in my backpack. » He pointed to a very small bag tied behind one of his shoulders.

Just then, the ice shattered under the effect of a much stronger earthquake than before.

Janes started laughing.

«Too late. »


	58. The abominations

**Poke-genetics: the abominations**

«We didn't make it. » Stan muttered, his gaze locked on the entrance of the cavern.

«No, you didn't. » Janes smiled. «It's such a pity, isn't it? You've finally managed to get past me, just to realize you are too late. »

Ash was about to reply, something which would have consisted of a big «shut up» and more probably one or twenty thunderbolt to the face, when he felt an unnatural fear freeze his guts.

He was not the only one to be suddenly paralyzed; everyone else had stopped and gaped at the dark cave. There was one however, that looked worse than the others. Genno's breathing had become heavy, his eyes blurry and his thinking process about to fade.

A solid pair of draconic arms encased him in a protecting embrace.

«I'm here, Genno. I'll protect you. » Stan whispered.

Another earthquake shook the ground under them and their fear started to engulf them. There was no doubt, this time. It was alive and it was coming.

Janes's laugher broke them out of their trances.

«It was about time you faced true evil, my poor little boys. »

The look of indignation and disbelief on their faces surpassed everything else. Coming from _her_, from _JANES, _of all people, that was just too much.

«Oh, I know what you little runts are thinking, but, truly, you are wrong. From what I gathered, you have faced many kinds of evil. Evil for the sake of one's greed, evil for the sake of power, evil for the sake of one's ideals, evil for the sake of one's fanatical views, evil for the sake of knowledge and even that rare breed of evil that is for the sake of loved ones, straight from your father, Ash. I'll admit that evil for the sake of one's pleasure is a good deal closer, my personal brand, boys, but you have not faced _pure_ evil. » There was a light of triumph in her eyes that was scarier than any death threat she could have issued.

Her audiences was captivated by her words; that was one of her many talents.

«Would you like to know what true evil is? » Her eyes were locked into Ash's. «Evil for the sake of evil. »

They stopped breathing.

«Simple, don't you think? To do evil simply to be evil, to be evil without motives, to be evil as if that was more natural than breathing. Even someone like me will inflict pain on others because it brings me something in return. The monster that just hatched from that egg? It will destroy you with no other motives than it can. »

Genno's voice returned to him, only to break as he tried to speak.

«Stan… » There was pleading in that single word.

His expression was stern and severe, and, given the fact that he was a dragonite at the moment, it made him particularly scary. It was odd how some thoughts Genno never dreamed he could have would become perfectly plausible once you stretched your concept of a realistic setting far enough.

Janes saw the scientist and would have flinched, if not for the fact that she could see the anger directed at someone else.

«Would you like to hear something nice? » She asked.

She ignored the sparkling noise that was coming from the boys' direction and directed her gaze onto Stan. Even when he narrowed his eyes threateningly, she did not hesitate.

«It was all just a matter of pride. »

Stan's eyes widened, himself blinking in shock.

«At first, he seemed to have dreamed of creating a clone of Mew, only stronger. I must admit that this kind of thing gets boring after you already see it happen once. Giovanni's own pet project had failed him once and he wanted to try again. Unfortunately for him, I knew he would just let true power slip from his fingers. Jonathan, on the other hand, was much more promising though a bit boring. Did you know he did not particularly care about the rest of the world ignoring that creature's existence? »

It was as if lightning had hit both Genno and Stan.

«It was satisfying for him to just know he had accomplished his dreams. He was truly a selfish, self-centered man. Luckily, he was also a prideful one. All I had to do was ask how he could be so sure that it was really better than Mew. I think he realized that I would not be convinced unless I had a proof, because he modified his project. What better way to show without a doubt that he was the greatest poke-geneticist to ever walk this land than to create a monster that would defeat Mew in battle? »

Genno heard Stan mutter something in disbelief. It sounded like «…defective MAOA gene… undeveloped children behavior… dominance contest… but for a being that used partial parthenogenesis to…»

Despite his fear, Genno's mind accelerated, if only to remember about those genetic processes and behavior patterns he had learned about from his father.

«This is the result: a being of simple, yet pure, evil. It will attack anything in sight, destroy anything it comes in contact with, until its life is extinguished. Beautiful… » She finished with a sigh, looking at the sky with a deep melancholy and a look of tenderness that clashed with the very idea of that woman.

Ash and Pikachu were trying to think of something, anything really, to help. That feeling of dread was growing stronger with each instant. Whatever it was that Jonathan had created, it was getting closer to them.

«Then again, evil by carelessness is a pretty funny variant too. It has a beauty that can't be quite replicated too. » Janes turned to Ash, ecstatic about something only she knew.

Forgetting for a second about Jonathan's creation, they stared at her with apprehension. Going against every single one of his instincts, Ash asked:

«What do you mean? »

As her sole answer, she moved one hand, with an obvious difficulty, and placed it on her belly.

Ash felt his face get drained out of its blood.

«I trust you need no additional explanation. It's definitely gone… by your fault. »

And as a last testament to her madness, she was the only one joyful, when nature stated she should have been the most devastated.

She was not, but the pikachu that had addressed her had gone silent.

Ash felt the world twist madly as the realization hit him. Everything was a cold blur, negatives colors covering everything, his mind dawning over the monstrosity of his actions. What had he done? Genno's…

Alex would never meet his mother, because she was a killer and a monster devoid of any humanity. He had killed too now. How would he ever look at his son ever again? How could he ever become the role model that he had sworn to become?

He would never be a good father; he had stopped being a good person at the very moment his attack had hit Janes.

What had he done?

His imagination suddenly gave him a horribly vivid image of Alex's egg shattering and his brain abruptly shut down, unable to process the unthinkable.

He… he felt as if a frightening darkness was going to take over. He had killed… he had killed his friend's unborn child…

From the corner of his mind, he could hear the sound of a very distant screech, as if an unspeakable pressure was threatening to shatter everything in its path. With a frightening precision, he understood that his sanity was on the verge of disappearing. That was too lenient of a punishment for a murderer like him, was it not?

Then, cutting right through the overwhelming horror, came Stan's voice.

«What is she talking about? » He asked, blissfully ignorant of the predicament Ash was living.

Pikachu, the only one that could still talk, spoke with a shaking voice, rightfully concerned about Ash.

«She said she was pregnant. »

A wave of disbelief showed on Stan's face, before it turned into disgust.

«Don't tell me she… » He shot a sorry look at the paralyzed pikachu in his arms. «…slept with Jonathan… »

Simultaneously, all three pikachus blinked in astonishment.

What?

The absurdity of the situation, combined with the unexpected and out-of-place exclamation, shocked them out of their stupor and put them into another.

Unfortunately, Genno also felt very sick at the implications and his stomach rebelled, which made Stan jump backward.

«Seriously… not helping me feel any better, Stan… » A traumatized Genno sourly commented.

«Sorry! I talked without thinking! » He instantly apologized.

«It's… because of what she… » Pikachu tried to explain, his mouth dry. «… did to Genno.» He completed, shooting a worried look at his trembling friends.

«Huh? That's impossible. »

Stan was stroking Genno's back to help him relax, ignoring the shocked expression that had painted itself on the ditto's face.

«She told u… » Pikachu paused, petrified when he realized what he was about to say. Janes had told them something and that meant it was true?

«Genno… did you honestly believe what she said? » He asked softly, turning to the pokemon he had sworn to protect.

«I… I don't know what to think! It's so dark… so painful…» He seemed to be looking beyond them, to look beyond the simple reality to see something so terrifying it could only be the matters of nightmares. «I don't know what to think! I don't know HOW to think anymore! » Tears were streaming down from his eyes and Stan made a calm shushing noise.

«It's okay, Genno. I swear you're going to be okay. And don't worry about that bitch's lies. A human cannot get pregnant from a pokemon; it's one-hundred percent impossible, even if it's a ditto. Humans and pokemon are two completely different groups of organisms and cannot, under any circumstances, reproduce together. »

Ash's mind turned a peaceful shade of white, any and all traces of madness being washed away by the blessed truth. He could only thank every single force of the universe that it had been revealed to him before it was too late.

There were no words to describe their reliefs… or Janes's anger.

«What did you say? WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM? » She screamed, enraged that the boys had recovered from her attack. «DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PLANNING IT TOOK ME TO GET THEM AT THE EXACT STATE OF MIND THAT WOULD MAKE THEM ALL BREAK? »

All that work… only to be crushed by a moronic scientist like Stan Folklow?

She froze when she felt the killing intent emanating from them. Even the broken ditto was exulting a murderous aura that made her shiver to the bones.

She would have died, right there, the very next instant, had it not been for the horrifying scream that rose from the depths of the mountain.

It was far from human, far from anything a pokemon could ever produce; the only word that could ever describe it was otherworldly.

The earth started shaking, just like before. The only difference between this earthquake and all the other ones before it was that this one was so strong it made pieces of the mountain detach.

«Look out! » Pikachu shouted, trying to be heard over the rumble of apocalypse that was drowning every other noise, without any chances of success.

The rocks started falling and Ash saw their shadows loom over them, unable to stand. He wanted to dodge, to move out of the way, but his fear had reduced his muscles to jelly.

* * *

«Yes, we are going through with the evacuation plan after all. I've received radio communication and it seems the mission's first objective was a failure. » Gregor Dexter explained on the phone, looking tense.

Behind him, Mandy was waiting patiently for him to be finished with his phone call. She ignored the small tremors of the ground with a very distinct professionalism.

Seconds later, the mayor of Viridian City hung up the phone and sighed.

«This is not good. » He massaged his forehead with a very tired expression.

«Would you like some coffee, sir? » She asked, not letting go of her stoic façade.

«Yes, please. » He nodded, looking outside, only to see public service officers in the streets, guiding civilians away, while every network was displaying the same high alert warning.

«Is… is everything going to be okay, dad? » Sebastian walked up to his father, grabbing his hand for a little bit of comfort.

«I hope, son. » He gently stroked his son's hair. «I hope. »

* * *

«This is it... » Delia looked up at the storm clouds forming in the horizon.

Marco nodded slightly, unable to speak to her the way he was.

«Ash is over there, » she said, tossing one strand of her hair aside, ignoring the powerful wind blowing at this attitude. «We must arrive in time. »

* * *

Ash only caught a sight of a yellow blur. The second after that, he was thrown out of the way, his very eyesight becoming nothing more than foggy shapes and colors.

An impossibly loud noise overwhelmed even the growls of the shaking earth and his mind recovered a cold clarity, albeit a limited one.

They had failed. It was coming.

All around him, he could make out the shape of the falling mountain, breaking into pieces each time the blocks made contact with the roaring earth.

They had failed. It was coming to destroy them.

He could not see much, clouds of dust were clouding his vision. He was alone. All alone.

They had failed and it was coming to destroy the world.

«Ash! » He heard his friend call him and he turned around in time to see Pikachu, his face inches away from his own.

«Pikachu? » He muttered, unable to say another word.

«Stay strong! It's not over yet! » And the trainer could see that grim determination in his pokemon's eyes. It would be hard, it would be painful, but he would never give up.

They had failed. It was coming. It was going to try to destroy everything in its path, _**but they would stop it!**_

They would not fail anymore. They had too much to protect, too much to lose, so many things they could never afford to lose. They were going to win!

The fear disappeared, being washed away like imprints on a beach.

Ash stood up, steady even if the very ground he was standing on was being shaken beyond its limit. It mattered not. His family mattered. His friends mattered. The whole world mattered much more than this.

The dust fell down suddenly, and he could see the entrance to the cave perfectly now. It was of pitch black darkness.

The earthquake stopped as well, though it hardly came as a relief. From the moment it had faded away, they had truly sensed the creeping evil of Jonathan's creature.

Stan and Genno by their sides, Pikachu and Ash stared down at the darkness. It would look away before them.

«Pikachu, Genno, Thunder! Stan, Dragon Rage! » He pointed at the cave.

«I don't know how to! » Stan replied strongly, slightly hysterical with the very uncomfortable instinct of an apex predator facing something stronger than itself.

«Get angry! » Genno yelled instinctively.

And that was something ridiculously easy to do these days.

The four of them unleashed their attacks, pouring as much power as they could into the assault.

In the middle of that torrent of power, right where they had aimed, Ash caught sight of a subtle hint of brown before the lightning and the blue energy replaced everything in the cave.

Panting slightly, Ash noticed a slight regression in the feeling of terror that was spreading out of the darkness. Whatever was hiding there had been disturbed by their attacks.

For a second, he was filled with hope.

But it shattered the very next instant.

They all fell down to their knees, an incomparable pressure filling the air.

Ash could not hear anything over the beating of his mad heart anymore. They all understood it the moment it fell down on them. It was of a power equal to that of a legendary pokemon; it was beyond their reach.

The shadows were covering Genno from head to toes now. He could only see through a thick veil of darkness; only hear through their shrieks of terror and their mad laughers.

But he could see that being hovering before them with a perfect accuracy, for it was but a produce of the realms of insanity and its most powerful incarnation.

It had come to them seething evil, the shadows distorted by its presence as if they were stretching to move toward it. The light was dying upon contact with its fur and its eyeless face was only a reflection of the abyssal depth of its power.

Ash, Pikachu, Genno and Stan looked at the creature before them and felt their courage crack.

It looked back at them and those cracks spread from top to bottom.

Another second passed and it shattered like glass.

Before them was the pinnacle of evil, the greatest achievement of a genius and of an amoral man, a creature that had for sole purpose the destruction of anything and everything, a black eyeless copy of Mew.

Without a sound, it unleashed a wave of destruction of an unbelievable violence and their vision turned black.

* * *

The abyss of unconsciousness was blissfully empty: nothing, absolutely nothing, until the very end of the universe. No fear, no pain.

What else was there in the world anyway?

If only it would stay like this… if only things could be gone forever…

But even in the void there could be fear, so long as there was a mind.

An obscure light flickered in the corner of his eye, just outside of his field of vision. When he turned around, it was gone.

Or was it?

It seemed to linger, the shadow of a shadow, waiting, patient. Did time matter to things unseen? Did time matter to him anymore?

Shadows started to gather in the darkness, a pitch black void that absorbed everything, that stole away everything, until only a void was left.

It was growing bigger, slowly gaining in size, threatening to engulf him too. There was but one thought left in his mind: run. He wanted to run away and to save himself from the darker darkness.

But he could not move.

Claws had dug into his flesh, firmly maintaining him in place until it would be too late.

Staring at the abyss, Genno felt it stare back and blinked.

He was not alone.

Not even in the middle of the abyss could he be at peace, could he taste the simple pleasure of being alone. Never alone, always watched.

It shrieked an echo of madness and a frightening silence.

A silence that was pierced by a peaceful light.

«Genno. » He heard a melody in a voice and it brought tears to his eyes. It chased away the darkness, pushed the shadows aside, leaving him safe and grateful beyond words.

«M…Milosia? »

«Wake up. It is not over yet, everyone is waiting. »

The light started to spread and he felt pulled toward it.

«Come. »

* * *

He woke up jolting forward.

«Are… kay? … hear… » Someone asked me.

He gasped, blinking. This world was as mad as the one he had left.

No sound reached him, but an annoying buzzing. Looming over him was the worried shape of a woman. It struck terror in his heart… until he heard what she had said.

«Are you okay? Can you hear me? » She repeated and motioned to her ears.

He stared, not registering what was happening.

«Chansey, this one is under shock, transport him away. » She turned to the nurse pokemon at her side and it nodded in response.

But it did not have the time to obey. An explosion blew them all away.

He fell back on the harsh ground, but the pain was much weaker than what he had come to expect.

It was only when he tried to stand that he realized he was no longer in his pikachu body. The shock and the subsequent fainting had made him change back, healing his physical injuries.

«STAY IN FORMATION, WE MUST BRING IT DOWN! » Someone shouted, and that voice overwhelmed his senses.

He transformed, using the sample he had forced his body to constantly create. His body became that of Ash Ketchum again and his sight returned to normal.

What he saw made him falter.

The abomination was still there, breathing and creating fear and pain. It was floating a few meters above the ground, staring down at a bunch of humans and their pokemon.

Humans he recognized.

The gym leaders of Kanto were making their last stand. They were the last pillar to hold the region together; they would protect it to the end.

They attacked and it stood there, facing their assault without flinching.

Genno felt his knees tremble at the sight. It was not going to work; his instinct as a ditto and a future poke-geneticist told him that. That monster had been created to face Mew. The man he had once considered a father was a genius; that much could not be denied.

Already, that thing had shown some of its power.

For the clearing was now a devastated plain, fallen trees and cracked earth covering it. Its first attack alone had done that. It was a miracle they had survived.

He looked at the darkening sky, the fallen fighters, the ones that were still fighting and he made his choice.

He was aware of his own condition, he would not last long, but that was something he owed this world. Jonathan had brought that monster in the world; he'd take part in its destruction.

Genno started running toward the maelstrom, the pinnacle of the conflict, where everyone's fate would be determined, and he accelerated. It was time.

* * *

Unbeknownst to him and most of the others, there was someone that should have been there, that should have stayed down, and was now gone.

One person, a woman, realized this and left.

Two were missing, one that was attempting to flee and one that would die before it happened.

Again.


	59. For Kanto's sake

**Poke-genetics: for Kanto's sake**

She had fled; the instant the first roar had been unleashed, she had started acting.

The dust made it easy for her to escape from their sight; the child's presence had made it easy to be forgotten.

She had almost been caught in the blast of the first attack. Luckily for her, the forest had diminished the strength of the blow.

The reinforcements had arrived next and she had released her most faithful pokemon to hide her away.

In the sky.

Neither Janes nor her dragonite were healthy enough to take on the gym leaders at that point. She knew she had won anyway. The fools would not succeed. They had failed to understand its true purpose.

The sky was lovely now. It held raw power, anger and darkness; all of it willing to fall down on the world.

A storm was brewing. One that had the potential to destroy everything, to cause destruction on a scale so grand even herself could barely start to see the scope.

If anything, that made her joyful. Oh, so joyful.

«Finally… everything will be gone, even… » She could not say it. The simple thought of it brought tears of ecstasy to her eyes.

Under her, her dragonite faltered, his body painful.

«Soon, Dragonite, soon… » She stroked his head gently and lied down.

Her pokemon grunted his consent. He was hers, until she saw it fit to end it all. She was the one – the only one – he admired. Until the end, he would obey.

He was her servant forever.

«Such a pleasant breeze… » She commented, after a particularly violent gust of wind nearly made them pummel. «It's fitting for a time like this, don't you think? »

He did not reply.

Instead, he tried to turn around and fly away to the sudden confusion of his mistress.

Only for her to understand when, seconds later, a pink creature appeared out of nowhere and stared them down.

«Mew… » She whispered, an uneasy smile crawling to her lips.

* * *

«Koga, now! » Surge yelled at the top of his lungs.

The ninja appeared seemingly out of nowhere and stabbed the creature in its back.

A smile went on Surge's lips, until he saw the shocked expression of the other gym leader.

Koga quickly let go and fell to the ground, dodging a terrifyingly powerful attack.

«Metal! » He yelled to convey the information. «There's a layer of metal under its skin!»

They paled.

Jonathan's monster slowly turned to Koga, its eyeless face expressing some unknown form of anger.

The attack came faster than they were prepared for.

A thousand screams rang to their ears and Koga's shape disappeared behind a ray of darkness. The last thing they saw of him was the gym leader raising his thumb and smiling hopefully.

A second later, his distorted body was all that was left of him.

Koga had fallen.

And the beast turned toward them next.

«Plan B was a failure! FORMATION 3 NOW! » Surge pushed Erika out of the way as the attack missed them by a hairbreadth.

«Pikachu, Thunderbolt! » Ash screamed, before doing the same.

The electricity rushed to their enemy blindingly fast, torrent of lightning and shower of light.

It did nothing. If anything, the dark creature's skin turned a bit paler, but under that pitch black fur, it was most likely wishful thinking.

«Magmortar, Fireblast. » Blaine shouted.

It did not dodge the flames either. It did not seem particularly affected by the blazing heat. It only hovered toward them slowly, covered in flames, in a terrifying display of power.

Its mere presence seemed to stretch darkness toward the fighters, black tendrils of madness that reached forward.

«EVERYONE, HYDRO PUMP! » Misty ordered her entire team.

In an instant, a massive stream of twirling water was hurled toward Jonathan's beast.

And it dodged.

While they paused, shocked by the sudden efficiency of the water gym leader's attack, Surge rose up from the ranks once more and brought them back to their mind.

«USE EVERY WATER TYPE ATTACKS YOU HAVE! NO MATTER WHAT, DON'T STOP ATTACKING! »

* * *

A cold shiver went down her spine.

She was facing a legendary, while her whole team had been defeated and she herself was not in her best condition.

A gesture from her and her dragonite stopped advancing. That way, she could keep herself at the same level of her opponent.

She would face Mew.

«After all this time, we finally meet face to face. » She declared, her voice strong and clear, hiding a subtle hint of deception.

It stared back, with a vague curiosity.

«You must be stopped. » It said, with a voice echoing on its own, vibrant with power.

That voice struck her inside and she had to use most of her remaining strength only to keep a façade of confidence.

«You have caused too much pain. You must be stopped. » It stated simply, without hatred or anger. If anything, it sounded devoid of any emotion at all.

Janes laughed.

At first, it had been but a crystalline chuckle. Then, slowly, it put up on itself until it became a laugher filled with derision.

Mew's reaction was that of a hidden surprise. Could it be that this woman… was a death seeker?

«Oh, I'm sorry, Mew. I just could not help it. You never stroke me as such a naïve being. » She wiped her eyes once, chasing the forming tears that were there.

«What are you…? »

«Is the world so black and white to you? » She cut it off, tilting her head slightly. «Please, tell me. I always wondered what is the morality of the beings closest to Arceus.»

What followed was a pregnant silence in which Janes was growing more and more comfortable.

«So it is like that then? Evil acts are only the responsibility of the evil doers, right? »

Once more, only silence answered her. This time however, she could feel the Legendary's hesitation.

«I think I understand now. » She whispered with a content grin. «All this suffering, all this pain, all on your shoulders. »

Mew almost jolted in surprise.

«Why do I say that? But, it's easy to understand, right? » Her tone had a sweet consistency which the legendary quickly grew to find annoying. «You, a being of supreme power, watches evil unfold without interjecting. With your power, it would have been easy to stop us, don't you agree? »

Her audience was clearly startled with what she implied.

«Of course, it must not be your choice or maybe you would argue with great wisdom that gods should not intervene in the lives of individuals. I find it hilarious, that you are held to such a great respect when you sit and let people like me do as they please. »

«Enough. I am here to put an end to your evil. » It replied with a cold severity.

«But not because of who I am.» She held both her hands over her heart, her tone tearful. «No… that would be too small of a matter for you, wouldn't it be? Monsters or heroes are met with the very same emotion from you: indifference. How many heroes have never received so much as a token of your appreciation? Have you ever acknowledged their accomplishments? » Her smile took on a dangerous undertone. «No, neither heroes nor villains have seen you before; you do not step in the conflicts. This time, it is because _you_ know about what that child's existence will really bring. Nothing else. »

It stayed silent. Clearly, it had not expected the woman to see it.

«Ah, could it be you thought I did not know? Of the true danger that it brings? » Her pain was all but forgotten in front of this new, more exciting prey. «In that case, why don't I enlighten you as to my most interesting idea yet? »

The pink creature in front of her was perfectly still, though she could sense the animosity that was dripping from its mind. Behind the cunning mind and the incredible power was a child that was facing contrarieties.

«It is a pity, but your power alone is not enough to destroy this world. Kanto itself? Most likely, but not much else. There are, after all, many pokemon of your level of power across this world, though you are without a doubt of one the greatest. If Jonathan's little pet were to rampage outside of Kanto, it would end up meeting its match in terms of power sooner or later. So… how to use this powerful toy of mine to create the perfect scenario? »

She knew the answer. Mew knew it too, if only by the cautious looks it was shooting at the dark sky.

To destroy a building with minimal power, you attack the foundation.

«Well, hypothetically, if that little child started to cause a ruckus that was big enough to call _another_ guardian to this place. Say… the grand dragon of the sky, Rayquaza? » Beneath her, she could feel the stupefaction of her pokemon as it struggled to stay calm.

«So it was calculated… » The legendary pokemon's eyes narrowed and its voice lowered threateningly.

That reaction only made her grin widen.

«Of course it was. Rayquaza is the guardian of the sky, a zealous protector of this world. It will not let Jonathan's little beast roam free. »

She felt a very light pressure on her shoulder, followed by a few others, on various spots of her uniform or body. She looked up at the black clouds over her and at the incoming threat of a storm with a smug glitter in her eyes.

«See? Its power is already disturbing the atmosphere enough to make it rain. There is no way Rayquaza will not notice. »

«You intend… »

«To have it fight and lose. » She confirmed with a slight nod. «At the very least, Rayquaza will be injured, gravely might I add. Its power is all that prevents the return of Groudon and Kyogre. Now… » She put a finger on her chin questioningly, and focused the entirety of her malice at Mew. «What would happen if both would be released without Rayquaza to stop them? » Her face was once again twisted with a smile while her eyes darkened with a mad lust.

It had been a while since Mew had felt it, this emotion lower beings could easily access to: fear. Not for itself, not toward its own wellbeing, but for its children, each and every one of them was in grave danger now.

«That's in the best case scenario, of course. The most probable issue is that Rayquaza will win but sustain aggravating injuries that would render it unable to contain them both, but not enough to bring it down. A dutiful guardian like it would jump into a hopeless battle without a second thought. » And she looked happy, incredibly so, as if a long time aspiration would be fulfilled at last.

There was a second of stunned silence, but she broke it.

«Can you imagine it? The great, legendary, Rayquaza being beaten to a pulp by the very creatures it dedicated its life to contain. Don't you think it would make for a delightful sight? »

Strangely, Janes' smile fell and her posture straightened. Her eyes were hard and her lips formed but a tight line. When she spoke, her tone was nothing like it ever was. Gone was the sweet honey-like voice or the twisted joy. It was cold, hard and frighteningly low.

«It will get what it deserves. It will receive its punishment for its crimes. »

The legendary felt hit by the lightning that was gathering in the sky.

«What do you mean by that? »

Her gloved hands shaking, she looked at them with mad round eyes.

«My body… all those years ago… my body… » Janes started to breath heavily and staggered, in a blood freezing manner. «I had done nothing wrong… I had simply lost my way… »

The rain started to pour down, obscuring their visions.

However, it was impossible to lose sight of her now.

«IT DESTROYED ME! IT DESTROYED MY BODY! » She screamed at the top of her lungs.

And suddenly, it all made sense.

Every criminal in the world had wondered someday how they would be punished for their crimes. Some had come to the conclusion that their punishment would be delivered by the gods, if there was any. They had accepted it and were hoping it would happen as late as possible.

The most ambitious, the cleverest, the maddest, all of them had looked beyond that.

If it came down to that, how would they kill gods?

«You… it can't be! » Mew exclaimed, staring in shock at the human in front of it. «It left afterward! It was peaceful! »

She finally looked back, all traces of distress and rage gone.

«Rayquaza destroyed my body when I fell down on this world. My spirit escaped and inhabited this human body. »

At first, it was just a hiccup. But, with each passing second, it built up, into a fully blown hysterical laugher.

When it reached its peak, she opened her arms wide and welcomed the storm full-heartedly.

«I AM THE SPIRIT OF DEOXYS! I SURVIVED MY FIRST DESTRUCTION AND I'VE BEEN PLANNING MY REVENGE EVER SINCE! RAYQUAZA WILL SEE THE WORLD IT SO ARDILY PROTECTED FROM MY PRESENCE BURN AND DROWN! »

Janes's answer to that question had been simple, straight to the point and was madly ambitious.

Mew, trying to process the information, was staring openly. It… it was not possible. It could not have happened! Both of these pokemon had left the world a long time ago; both had left peacefully!

She had said: kill them when they lower their guards.

Mew barely caught sight of the weapon before it went flying right for its throat.

* * *

He fell face first into the dirt.

«Come on, move. » He whispered for himself.

Even then, even when he knew what hung in the balance, his body still betrayed him.

Pushing against the ground with all his might, he managed to stand up, but he was trembling.

_Don't… Do not go that way…_

It had attacked again. He had seen it. Someone was dead.

It brought no additional fear; it could not grow any bigger. Instead, it tied his innards with guilt.

«Why am I still here? » He cried, running.

Toward the fighting.

There had to be something he could do! Something only he could do!

And deep inside his memory was the hint he had to find.

«Daddy, how did you know it was going to work? » A younger version of Genno had wondered, after a particularly spectacular experiment had concluded in a success just as impressive.

«Son, do you know what I did when I first thought of the problem? » His father had kneeled next to him and appeared very serious, albeit somewhat expectant.

«Think like no one thought before. » Genno had cheerfully replied, just like he had been taught.

His remark had been met by a wide smile from his father and the man had approvingly lifted his son into the air, carrying him into the kitchen.

«That's right, son. And you know what that means? »

«Ice cream? » He had asked very excitedly, hoping really hard that he had earned that special reward.

«Ice cream. » Jonathan had nodded proudly.

_Think outside the box. _

That was what he had been taught by his father. That was what had led Jonathan to discover DNA samples. That was what had brought war to Kanto.

It would bring peace too.

He ran faster, determined to make it in time… and to make sure his will would not falter again.

He heard an order to use water type moves and he saw Ash's girlfriend, if he had understood right, make her way to the front row to unleash a series of powerful attacks.

But only one of these was dodged.

Genno almost tripped. Something… something had just happened before his eyes and he had not understood what it was. However, as the gym leaders and the police force launched more attacks, he knew they were wrong.

It did not fear water type moves. Not as of now.

As if to prove him right, it did not dodge any of the streams of water. It took those head on and barely flinched when they reached it.

«It's something else. » He muttered and prepared himself to truly enter the battlefield.

* * *

She stared in shock.

Her knife was suspended a few millimeters away from Mew. Her assassination attempt had failed completely.

«Impressive. » Mew said, pensive as he disintegrated the weapon. «I can easily understand why you were allowed to roam free for so long. »

In that voice, there was a power beyond anything she knew and she saw its incarnation the second afterward.

Her body stopped responding. It was giving off a faint blue glow. Paralyzed by Mew, she could only listen with a burning anger filling her veins.

«It was a lie. » It stated.

Her mind was but an open book to the legendary pokemon now. She could feel the probes, quick and painful, as it stole away her secrets and her thoughts.

«A lie you thought of on the spot? » It muttered in surprise.

She regained enough control to growl, throwing insults mentally.

The next instant a fire devastated her mind, making her scream at the top of her lungs. Every heinous act she had ever committed was laid bare to Mew. Every mind she had broken, every hope she had crushed, every life she had destroyed, all of it was seen and understood.

Mew shivered with disgust.

When it talked, its voice echoed in her head, to the point of driving her mad.

«Your existence was a tribute to pain and madness. You dragged other souls into the darkness and left them there gleefully. Be prepared to face the same. » Mew's threat was lost though, for the human woman in front of him was talking madly.

«Make it stop, make it stop, _make it stop_, _MAKE IT STOP_! »

The Legendary let her scream, no one could help her now. No one would want to.

This was a mistake.

Mew was hit by a stream of blue flames and it stared back in shock, only to find that her dragonite had flown away at full speed. Pushed by its devotion, it had reached an even faster speed than when it had first tried to evade the Legendary.

«Such a sad child… » Mew shook its head sadly. «You may flee to try to save that woman, but know that she is doomed. Not by my hands, but by the hands she has herself corrupted. »

It turned its back on the fleeing dragon and flew away through the brewing storm.

* * *

Genno was almost killed the second he reached them. He was unceremoniously tackled to the ground before Jonathan's beast attacked him for getting its attention.

A chill went down his spine as a Dark Pulse flew right over him.

He very nearly broke down where he was lying, hearing dark whispers and sweet temptations of peace.

«Stand up, now! » He was almost thrown upward by the very person who had saved him.

Confused, the ditto just stumbled his way forward to a group of attacking gym leaders and officers. There was a fleeting «thanks» in his mind for Erika's heroism, but she was already running in the opposite direction, leading her pokemon around the dark creature.

He flinched when a Flamethrower missed him by inches; its heat not being the real reason he was sweating.

«Manoeuver 5! Flying types and fire combined! » Surge roared over the noise of the battle.

The flames swelled up to truly gigantic proportions. Their brightness overcame the falling darkness and their heat created steams of vapors where rain should have been.

«Not fire… » He muttered, fear gripping at his guts.

He did not turn back. If he had, he would be faced with a truly hellish sight that would have broken his last effort of taking responsibility.

As the teen made his way toward Surge's group, Blaine and Sabrina's team froze with horror, struck by the power of the image.

The pitch black monster floated out of the column of flames, with them leeching at its fur without even making contact. The light was their worst enemy now, as it blinded them and extended the shadows, many of them reaching for the trembling trainers.

«DISPERSE! » Blaine shouted, right a vicious fire type move was about to crash in the middle of his team.

«Misty… » Sabrina whispered, dodging another attack by a hairbreath. «It's using fire type moves; we need your help here. Position C beta. »

On the other side of the devastated clearing, Cerulean City's gym leader repeated the crisis to Lt. Surge. Not a second later, an alakazam appeared at her side and, after a fast dismissal, she disappeared with it, leaving only her milotic behind.

Surge turned to give another order when he caught sight of the ditto kid running toward their group. He almost delayed his reaction for that.

«Go to point B and attack! » He lashed out, shooting a quick glance at the dying pillar of flames.

He slowed down just an instant, to let himself be caught up with by the teen.

«Report! » He ordered, voice very harsh.

«I… I want to help. » Genno said, panting and trying to calm down enough to think rationally.

«What can you do? » The military man's patience was wearing thin. He had no time to give to anyone.

«I… I know there's something wrong with it. It's not weak to the attacks you sent. » His gaze was locked on Milosia, finding a great appeasing effect in her simple presence.

«Okay! We have no poke-geneticist with us at the time, so we can use whatever you know! » He grabbed Genno and dragged him away, toward Brock and Gary, both hiding behind toppled rocks and pieces of mountain.

The words shocked him, for he knew they were false. He could only hope that they had not known about Stan's use of DNA samples on himself.

«You, the milotic! Keep the glowing to a minimum, it brings attention to yourself and make you a target. » Surge pointed at Misty's pokemon, who nodded gracefully.

Surge quickly pushed Genno behind the rock and stared at the battlefield, where Misty's intervention had calmed down the raging inferno following Jonathan's beast.

Now, it had switched back to dark types moves.

«Think of something! You're an intellectual, aren't you? Well, we're just running circles around it, so if you find something, do tell us! » The electric type specialist demanded again, before running into the battle himself.

Genno's strongest desire was just that: finding the right way to help.

«Genno, are you alright? » Brock asked, concern spread on his face.

«I… I'll be fine. » He replied, a bit surprised about the sincerity of the gym leader.

«Good, then we will do our best to protect you and the rest as long as we can. » Gary stepped forward, glancing behind him at some of the exhausted fighters resting.

Genno added nothing. Instead, he concentrated every single piece of his shattered sanity toward this trial. If there was something he could do, it was this.

He had never been able to understand his own natural sight before. To him, it had been a realm of mad perception. In retrospect, it was still mad, but it was not the same brand of insanity he had been forced to face afterward.

There was order in this madness. A rule could be found if one was looking for it.

He tried looking at the monster's DNA, directly, but he rapidly found himself surrounded by shadows that pierced even Milosia's power.

A pair of dark hands even fell on his shoulder and he jumped back in fear, only to be staring at Brock.

«Calm down. » The older trainer held his hands high as a show of goodwill. There was even a nice smile to add to the blessing of this image. «We will protect you. Don't worry. »

And the hand he offered Genno was taken, shyly, but taken.

Together, they turned back toward the fighters, as they took turns to attack and distract Jonathan's creation one at a time.

«If only Stan was here… I know he'd understand… » He muttered, biting his lips.

«…I know you can. If Stan was here, he would tell you the same thing. » Brock encouraged him.

«Where is he? » He could not help asking, despite the knot in his throat threatening to stop him from breathing.

«We… » Brock frowned. «…we don't know. When we arrived, you, Ash and Pikachu were lying on the ground, behind a dragonite that had fainted standing, arms and wings wide. »

Genno did not flinch. He did not falter. No sadness or shock blurred his vision. Instead, there was a very different feeling overwhelming him.

Raw anger filled his veins.

The thought of Stan being hurt. The thought of the poke-geneticist unconscious, having taken the hit for them… it made him angrier than ever.

That thing was going down.

For he was noticing a pattern now. He still could not tell what it was , but something was changing inside that beast. It was the true difference between itself and Mew.

«Steelix, now! » Brosk suddenly shouted beside him.

The ground started shaking in an all too familiar way for a brief moment. A second later, the steel snake was lunging toward Jonathan's creature with a powerful roar.

Again. He saw it again. Something was different. It was a fleeting impression, for it disappeared once more, before it counterattacked.

A stream of flame stopped Brock's pokémon dead in its track.

It fell to the ground, creating a small crater where its head made contact with the destroyed scenery.

«This is not good. » Brock's jaw tightened, obviously restraining from calling back his steelix and giving their position away.

«It's about to get a lot worse. » Gary pointed toward the beast, frowning.

It had growled out in anger, screaming a thousand echoing screams, forcing each and every one to cover their ears in pain and in sheer terror.

Until a lightning bolt hit it mid-scream that is.

The yelling died down, but the dark creature calmed down while still being assaulted by electricity.

And Genno's eyes widened with the realization.

«I KNOW! I GOT IT! » He stood up, adrenaline boosting his strength. «I'VE GOT TO TELL SURGE! »

«What? » Both trainers at his side exclaimed, confused by this sudden turn of events.

«The secret to its strength! The reason why none of our attack have any effect on it! I figured it out! » For a second, Genno really looked crazy, with eyes much rounder than before and twitches from his limbs with the excitement. Ironically, he had rarely felt saner than now. «It can ch-»

An explosion cut him off.

Thrown harshly at the ground, Genno bit his tongue painfully.

It was the least of his worries.

Turning around, in panic, he saw Jonathan's monster panting with pure unaltered fury.

His fear came back and hit him with the strength of a racing train. His vision, unusually sharp, distorted to fit with the madness of the scene that was offered to him. The gym leaders were being picked out one by one.

Blaine was down and so was Erika. Both were unconscious, perhaps in a critical condition.

It was now turning toward Surge, giving off an aura of death and horror.

The military man's face tightened with rage and his posture tensed even more than before. One hand held out in an invitation, the gym leader spoke with hatred.

«Bring it. »

The dark copy of Mew seemed to be staring down at the impudent human.

It only fueled the man's courage… and that of his subordinates.

«Your strongest attack, now! » Surge screamed, both at his own pokémon and at the fighters rallying behind him.

Fire, lightning, wind, each of those elements were fused into a single ray of hope, fused into an attack that made the earth shake in fear.

And, as the beast was preparing its counterattack, two lone pokemon made their move.

Two small yellow mice moved in perfect synchronization. Two pikachu jumped right in the fray, on the signal one of them had given. Ash and Pikachu hit it in the back with a double Iron Tail.

The beast flinched and could not focus enough to counter before it was too late.

Surge's group yelled with joy when their combined attack made contact. They screamed even over the sound of the explosion that followed.

These exclamations of happiness were overclouded when a roar so deeply inhuman rose over the dust and the ashes.

Few were fast enough to see the artificial pokemon as it skyrocketed toward the stormy clouds and the lightning. None missed the fact that even the storm seemed to gather under the pokemon's influence, all in one massive – deadly – attack.

«EVERYONE! RUN TOWARD ME! » Sabrina raised her arms high and ran to the center of the chaos. Her alakazam followed her.

The next dozen of seconds were very confused, as humans and pokémon everywhere on the battlefield rushed toward a single point.

The psychic type specialist glanced once at the sky and grimaced. There was no time. She exchanged a brief look with her pokemon and it nodded back. They had to do this.

Everyone had understood. Perhaps it was their survival instincts kicking in, but they knew what Sabrina intended to do. They also knew that physical contact was essential.

Those that were too far to reach her already knew their despair would not last long.

«ALAKAZAM! TELEPORT! » She screamed at the top of her lungs.

And even those that had closed their eyes in acceptance felt it, that moment when your body is pulled away from its legitimate space in the world.

The clearing was devastated with darkness and lightning the very next second.

* * *

Ash opened his eyes slowly, blinking.

They were… in a forest. He should not be in a forest. He had not reached Sabrina by the time the dark Mew had unleashed its attack.

His nose could recognize the scents and most if not all of his allies were here somewhere. His heart missed a beat when he realized Misty's was among the numbers.

It skipped another when a human fell right next to him.

It was Sabrina.

A second later, another body fell. This time, that of her alakazam.

Gaping in horror, he saw Lieutenant Surge kneeled down and put a hand on her neck.

The man shook his head.

«Everyone! Sabrina, gym leader of Saffron City, has sacrificed herself so we may continue to fight! » He announced, causing a wave of shock through the ranks of the officers and the trainers. «It must not be in vain! »

«What can we do? It resisted every one of our tactics! » Someone shouted, a few approving, the rest silently swallowing the tears of terror that were threatening to overcome them.

«We must not give up! Kanto is counting on us! » This time it was a girl and Ash knew which one. That temper of hers was attractive, like the rest of her person.

«There is something we can do! » This time, the voice was familiar for it used to be his.

Ash saw a copy of his human body pushed through the ranks of the fighters and move toward Surge.

«I figured it out! It's not invincible; we CAN take it down! » He said, a bit too quickly, if only for the extreme scare he had been put through.

However, in his eyes were floating something else.

The images of a very particular pichu, one that had green cheeks. That was it, the key to his father's idea. One that he had experimented alone, in secret of his peers.


End file.
